Truth and Lies
by sheep1215
Summary: When Flynn Rider is falsely accused for Rapunzel's kidnapping, he must go against all odds to save the love of his life from imminent danger.  Will he succeed?  Or will he have to face the gallows for real this time?
1. Missing

**Hey, everyone!**

**Ok, so I've been DYING to do a Tangled fanfic (because that movie is epically amazing) and now I'VE GOT IT! I finally came up with an idea worth writing. I hope you like it as much as I do because I'm obsessed with working on it! (Honestly, I'd spend my life on this thing if I wasn't so busy) So enjoy, read up, and FLYNN IS AMAZING! :-)**

**I do not own Tangled,**

**So please do not sue me,**

**Although I wish I did,**

**So my heart'd be filled with glee (SOBS)**

**Truth and Lies**

Flynn Rider wasn't sure what awoke him, but from the ominous pit in his stomach, he had the feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

In fact, he was sure of it. As he shot up from his bed, he seemed to be surrounded by a thick, choking invisible fog. And only one thought came to his mind:

Rapunzel.

He had to find her. Bolting out the door, he looked frantically down the hall, though for some reason, he felt disoriented as ever. But he had to reach her. He had to stop it. Whatever it was.

The snaking hallway was a labyrinth all its own, but still, Flynn raced through the ever-winding hallways, intent on reaching the love of his life. What was wrong? What was making him so anxious? Something _was_ wrong. He couldn't tell why, but he knew. He had to go, _now._

After what seemed like years of blindly running, Flynn heard an eerily familiar voice that sent chills down his spine.

"Don't let him fool you, Rapunzel, dear; he won't always be around to protect you…"

_No… _Flynn thought, Rapunzel's door in sight. _Please…please don't let it be—_

But as he burst through the door, his fears were realized. Right in front of him was a sight that made Flynn's heart freeze: An aged woman with thick black hair gripped a struggling Rapunzel's wrist with one hand, a razor-sharp dagger in the other.

Gothel was back.

"Ah, Rider…" she said calmly, ignoring the struggling young girl clenched in her fist. "So nice of you to join us…we were just talking about you."

"Let her go, _NOW!_" Flynn ordered, stomping his boot in rage. He stepped forward, ready to rescue his love and free her from the wicked old woman who had traumatized the first eighteen years of her life. But as soon as he stepped forward, Gothel yanked Rapunzel close and held the dagger to her throat.

"Nuh uh uh," she cautioned, grinning menacingly at the horrified Flynn. "One more step, and you just might regret it."

Flynn froze in his tracks, his heart racing. He stared into Rapunzel's terrified green eyes. There was no way he would cause this beautiful girl's death.

"How did you get here?" Flynn demanded to know. Gothel was _dead_. Ever since Flynn cut Rapunzel's hair, Gothel had aged beyond her years and plummeted out the window, turning into dust. Now, how was it that she was here? How had she gotten to the thing he most treasured?

"I have my ways," Gothel answered vaguely.

Flynn's heart was still pounding as he stared at the blade in Gothel's hand. "What do you want?"

"An eye for an eye," Gothel answered. "Or more like a life for a life."

"No!" Flynn yelled, frantic for anyway to save Rapunzel. "Please, I'll do anything! Just leave her alone!"

"Now, why would I want to do that?" Gothel just gripped the dagger even tighter. "You took the treasure from my life…I'm simply returning the favor."

"No, please!" Flynn's heart dropped as he envisioned what was about to happen. "Kill me," he said breathlessly, "kill me instead. Please…"

"Eugene—" Rapunzel choked out, but Gothel just shot her a deathly gaze.

"You hear that, dear?" she hissed. "He'd be willing to die for you." Then her face melted into an awful smile. "Let's see if you'd be willing to do the same."

Then, with that, Gothel drew back the dagger, and before Flynn could react, plunged it into the young girl's chest.

O-O-O-O-O

"No!" Flynn shouted, jolting out of his slumber. His heart pounded against his chest as he recalled the awful scene that he had just witnessed. But now it was gone, and he was back in his bed, drenched in a cold sweat.

The horrifying scene was gone.

Flynn took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, but nothing could erase that terrifying moment where he saw Rapunzel ripped away from him. If anything like that happened to her…he had no idea what he would do. Rapunzel was his world.

Flynn slowly emerged from the bed, trying his best not to make any noise as he crept across the cold marble floor over to where his coat hung on the wall. He carefully dug through the pocket, and then slowly pulled out a little square case. Opening it, he spotted the beautiful ring inside, the diamond stone sparkling with the moonlight that seeped through the curtains. A feeling of pride swept through him. He hadn't stolen this ring, for once. He had worked. Worked his hardest for the woman he loved.

He would give it to her tomorrow, he decided, though he had much deliberation if he should give it to her at all. What if she wasn't ready? Flynn knew that Rapunzel loved him…at least, he hoped she did. With her, it was sort of hard to tell. She seemed to love everything, and everyone. Flynn chuckled as he remembered how she quickly befriended all the thugs at the Snuggly Duckling. That girl had a heart of gold.

Still, it was amazing, how Flynn felt about her. Over time, he had tried to woo many women, and most of the time, he was successful. But still, Rapunzel made him feel…ugh, he just couldn't describe it. She made him feel like a whole new man.

And he _was_ a whole new man. That girl had changed him, that's for sure. His thieving days were a thing of the past. In fact, when he had returned Rapunzel to her home, she made sure that Flynn was pardoned of all his crimes, and she also made sure that he wouldn't have to be living out in the wilderness and roughing it ever again. That's how he ended up here—in the King's palace. The King had given him a room to stay in as long as he needed to, and Flynn was eternally grateful. Now he could be with Rapunzel every day.

It amazed him, really. He didn't love Rapunzel for her money, or her prestige, or the fact that she could make his wrongs disappear from every record. It was _her._ For the first time, Flynn Rider loved a girl not for what she had, but _who_ she was.

And now, Rapunzel had been chosen to pick a suitor as prince. And prince…man, that was something big. But that wasn't why Flynn was going to propose tomorrow. That wasn't why he was going to get down on one knee and pledge his love to that young lady—no, he was doing it because of _her_. And if he was rejected, yeah, that would hurt, _tremendously_, but if Rapunzel was happy with someone else, that was who she needed to be with.

Flynn sighed and slipped the ring back into the pocket of the coat. He had no clue why he was worrying so much. Rapunzel seemed like she really did love him. And Flynn definitely loved her back.

This was why he needed to see her—right then. Slipping on a robe, he eased the door open as quietly as he could. He didn't need any guards interrogating him on why he was out wandering the castle in the middle of the night.

The lanterns on the wall lit the beautifully polished golden walls of the castle, and the patterned rug under Flynn's feet that bore the kingdom flower. Though the hall was magnificent, every step made him think of Rapunzel's paintings—her talent was much better than anything the castle designers could come up with.

The first thing Flynn noticed as he neared Rapunzel's room was that there were no guards stationed outside her door. But, for Rapunzel, that wasn't that unusual. The girl never had been fond of the kingdom guards, especially since they had almost hung Flynn for his treachery. Even now, even after he'd reformed, they watched him with a wary eye, constantly, and Flynn and Rapunzel both were happy to escape from them from time to time.

The second thing Flynn noticed as he entered the princess's room was the pure chill of the room. The windows were wide open. Though that was a bit odd, it wasn't completely out of the ordinary. Since Rapunzel had been locked in a tower for practically her whole life, she often opened up the castle window before she went to bed to take in the miraculous change of view that the castle had to give her. She just must have forgotten to close the shutters this time.

The thing that really seemed out of the ordinary to Flynn was Rapunzel's bed itself; blankets, sheets, everything was strewn every which way, dragged on the floor to reveal that the princess no longer was there.

The sight gave Flynn a jolt, and he quickly tiptoed over to the disordered array of covers. Maybe Rapunzel was just sleeping under all that chaos.

But as Flynn pulled up sheet after another, he grew more and more anxious as there was no sign of his beloved princess. Finally, as he ripped back the last blanket, there was no sign of Rapunzel, but instead, her chameleon, Pascal, lay huddled on the mattress with his eyes covered. His hue was a sickly black, and the sight sent chills down Flynn's spine.

Flynn's first thought was: _The frog ate her!_ But he knew even that was outlandish. No, something truly terrible had happened here.

"What happened?" he urgently asked the chameleon, who had just noticed his presence. "Where is she?"

Pascal nervously squeaked and pointed a scaly finger towards the open window.

Flynn couldn't believe what he was hearing—or rather, seeing. "Did she run away?" he asked. That wouldn't make any sense at all. Rapunzel had just been freed from her tower and put in this castle—why would she want to leave now? She never made it seem like she didn't like it. In fact, she adored it here.

Pascal shook his head, and then he imitated some kind of monster-looking thing, growling and putting his little fingers in front of his mouth to show fangs.

Now Flynn knew the truth. "Someone…Someone took her?"

Pascal nodded his little head rapidly.

"Oh…oh, no…" was all Flynn could say as he rushed to the open window and looked down. The kidnappers had not left a trace; no rope, no stepping stones, no arrows in the wall so they could scale up—nothing. But he was sure, because the tiles on the castle roof looked scuffed and broken, as if boots had skittered across it. Although, come to think of it, that might have been Flynn's own scuff marks.

But that wasn't the point. The point was, Rapunzel was gone. Some thug had taken that beautiful girl and who knows what they'd do with her? Flynn had no second to waste. The thought of Rapunzel being in danger…images of his dream flashed through his mind. He had to do something.

He felt like jumping out that window and chasing after her captors himself, but he knew he couldn't just do that. He needed to warn someone, now. Someone who cared about Rapunzel just as much as he did. Someone who would help him find her, no matter what it cost him. And then he realized who he could tell:

The king and queen.

Without a second to waste, Flynn scooped up Pascal and started running down the hall, desperate to reach Rapunzel's parents, as images of the final scene of his nightmare repeated mercilessly in his mind.

Over…

And over…

And over again.


	2. False Accusations

**Hi! Sorry, this chapter was a little bit shorter because I was pressed for time, but hopefully, it will be just as good. Got a great idea for Chapter 3 but depending on how much work I have it might not be up for a while. Still, I will try my best. When I get wrapped up in writing my story, it usually turns into some obsesseve hobby, so...**

**But anyway, here it is!**

**I do not own Tangled...there, I said it. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**

"Your highnesses!" Flynn called as he tore down the hall. "Your highnesses!"

Suddenly, a palace guard stepped right out into the hallway, blocking the frantic Flynn's path.

"Rider!" he barked. "What do you think you're doing out this late?" an angry gaze came across his face as he unsheathed his sword. "Your tricks won't get you anywhere here…"

"Please!" Flynn begged, desperately trying to get by. Ordinarily, he would have no problem playing a trick on one of his old foes, but this was important. "It's an emergency!"

The guard wouldn't budge. "I don't know who you think you are—"

Before the guard could say anything else, Flynn grabbed his wrist and gave a piercing gaze into his eyes. "It's Rapunzel. Let me through." he ordered sternly.

A strange, unreadable look—probably one of shock—glinted in the guard's eye, and then he reluctantly but quickly stepped aside, allowing Flynn to race by, straight towards the flower-adorned door that led to the king and queen's room.

He banged against the huge door as loud as he could, yelling just as loud. For once, there was no need for stealth. He needed to get their attention as urgently as possible.

"Your highnesses! Your _highnesses_!"

Suddenly, when Flynn was just about to burst through the door after lack of reply, the king yanked the door open, a tired but upset look on his face.

"Rider!" he said, confused. "What—what is it? Do you know what time it is?"

"Rapunzel's gone," Flynn breathed, still overcome by the shock of it himself. "I went to her room to visit her—the bed was in shambles, and the window was open." He held forward Pascal. "The fro—chameleon—explained that someone took her."

The king's eyes widened in fear, and he didn't even bother to ask why Flynn was in his daughter's room in the middle of the night, or how on earth Flynn learned to communicate with a chameleon. Instead, he quickly rushed over to his wife, whom he quickly roused out of her sleep.

"What…? Honey—" the queen mumbled, just as confused. But as the king urgently spoke to her, she jolted up, her eyes wide in terror. "No…" she gasped, "No…"

"Come with me," Flynn nodded, and the queen quickly scrambled to her feet and threw on a robe, the king doing the same. Then the two fear-stricken parents ran after Flynn, who began hurrying down the long winding hall.

As they ran, a few guards caught sight of them and began to follow close behind. Flynn couldn't blame them. I mean, it must have looked pretty suspicious, an infamous criminal leading the two most important people in the kingdom down a winding hallway.

Suddenly, a thought hit Flynn. _What if I'm wrong? What if it was just another terrible nightmare, and I was just imagining things?_ To be honest, he wished that was the case. He would rather be reprimanded by the king and queen for complete foolishness if it could mean Rapunzel would be safe from any harm.

For some reason, his thoughts switched to the diamond ring he had been observing moments ago. If only he had told her he loved her—or better yet, if he hadn't been bothering with that stupid ring in the first place. Maybe those few moments could have changed anything.

However, when the group rushed into the princess's room, they found it totally empty; the sheets were still everywhere, the windows wide open. The king lit a lantern on the wall and began to search the room, to no avail. The queen stood in the doorway and sobbed. "No…oh, no, not again…no…" and Flynn felt sorry for her. She had already gone through this pain once, when Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel as a baby. And now…Flynn was sure the hurt was indescribable.

The guards that had followed them began flooding the room, inspecting every which area of the room—the closet, under the bed, inside the wardrobe—but there wasn't a trace of Rapunzel.

She was gone.

The thought was too much for Flynn, and he had to force himself not to cry. He was Flynn Rider—he never cried! But it just wasn't right. Rapunzel should be safe, warm in her bed…if only he had been there…

Flynn barely noticed as the king's whole emotion burst into infuriation, and he whirled around to face Flynn.

"Rider, where is she?" he strode towards Flynn, his anger-red face stained with tears. "Where is my daughter?"

The king's question threw Flynn completely off guard. He had no clue where she was! Why else would he go to the king and queen to find help? Suddenly, he realized what he meant. "Oh, no…you don't really think I—"

"I'm not falling for your lies, Rider!" the king growled, "I have _proof _that you are guilty!"

Flynn backed up, completely puzzled. Proof? What the heck was going on? "Sir, you have to believe me! I would never—"

The king would have no more. Instead, he turned, enraged, to his guard.

"Arrest him!" he ordered. "Arrest him at once! By order of your king! Take him to the dungeon, and we shall have his trial immediately at dawn!"

"No!" Flynn objected, as guards seized his wrists and dragged him out against his will. He was completely baffled at what was going on, and the last place he needed to be was the dungeon while all this was going on. What about Rapunzel? He had to help find her. He had to save her! There was no time!

"You can't do this! I—No!" Flynn struggled with all his might against his captors, but he made no success. He was trapped, as he was forcibly dragged down the hall. The guards showed no mercy to their prisoner, as Flynn desperately pleaded to be freed. He had to be freed! He had to find her! He was innocent, for once! And now…

Still, the guards paid no attention to Flynn's cries for freedom as they dragged him away to the dark, lonely place he thought he would never have to face again.


	3. Present and Past

**YAY! Two chapters in one DAY! Wow...this should be in like the world record books or something. JK! But anyway, Chapter 3, I think, is where it really starts getting interesting. I hope you feel the same way too! And don't worry. This isn't one of those stories I'm just going to throw aside. I'm actually really stuck on it. :-)**

**I don't own Tangled...or I See the Light...or Flynn Rider...or Rapunzel...OR ANYTHING COOL! GRRRRRRRRRRRR!**

_Man, this is not what I had in mind when Blondie said I'd be staying at the castle._

And it was true; the dungeon was definitely _not_ what Flynn had in mind, in fact, _ever_ again.

But still, here he was, locked up like an animal in a dark, barred, rat-infested cell. He'd been there enough, he was kind of used to it, but after sleeping in such regal conditions like in the palace…Man, what had he gotten himself into?

And the thing was, he hadn't gotten himself into anything. For once, he was completely innocent. He hadn't done a thing wrong! So how the heck did the king find _proof?_

Flynn had no idea. Perhaps it was just 'cause the king was angered that Flynn was in Rapunzel's room in the first place. Or maybe he had found a hair that fell off Flynn's head while he was interrogating Pascal. Either way, Flynn was a prisoner once again.

Finding it uncomfortable slumped against the dirt wall, Flynn stood up straight and peered out the small, barred, dungeon window.

He had the first cell, this time—nearest to the entrance—so he could have a view of the courtyard. It was a dim view, seeing that it was late at night, but Flynn could still spot the silhouettes of the flowers in the imperial garden, swaying gently in the nighttime breeze. He could even hear the soft trickling of the fountain, which Rapunzel completely adored to visit.

"Oh, Rapunzel," he sighed, resting his head against the window, his gaze stuck on those flowers. It was only yesterday that he was there, with her, and she was safe in his arms.

By now, it almost seemed like just a dream…

O-O-O-O-O

_"Eugene, I love you," Rapunzel had said, curled up contentedly in Flynn's arms._

_Flynn chuckled. Though everyone in the city knew that he preferred to be called Eugene now, Rapunzel was the only one that did. He guessed that everyone was just too used to the infamous Flynn Rider running around, not Eugene Fitzherbert. Still, every time it came out of his love's mouth, it was beautiful._

_"Love you, too, Blondie," Flynn grinned, tenderly running his fingers through Rapunzel's now-brunette hair. Even though it had changed, Rapunzel hadn't, and she'd always be the same old Blondie to Flynn._

_Rapunzel sighed contentedly, her eyes stuck on the fountain. Flynn held her tighter, his heart lifted by the sound of her happiness. But then, she let out another sigh, more depressed._

_"Hey, what's wrong?" Flynn had asked._

_"Eugene…" Rapunzel said, her eyes still stuck on the gorgeous fountain. "Do you think I'm…pretty?"_

_The question completely blew Flynn away. Of course she was pretty! The girl was beautiful! He leaned around and gazed into her jade green eyes. "'Course I do. What on earth would make you think you weren't?"_

_Rapunzel rose to her feet—her bare feet, Flynn might add—and immediately Flynn did the same._

_"It's just…" Rapunzel searched for words. "Ok, I know Gothel isn't my mother any more, but still, everything she's said about me over the past eighteen years…it just sort of stuck."_

_Flynn was stunned. What kind of mother would tell her daughter such terrible things that weren't true? Well, Gothel _was_ evil, but to such a beautiful girl as Rapunzel? Flynn wouldn't allow her to be put down by such lies. Instead, he gently grasped her shoulders and led her to the fountain._

_"Hey, Blondie, would I lie to you?"_

_"No," Rapunzel shrugged, "but—"_

_"Rapunzel, look into that fountain." Flynn said, gazing at their reflection in the shimmering pool of water. Even the reflection stunned him. The image of him with this breathtaking young lady? He must have been the luckiest guy alive. Soon, Rapunzel's green eyes were gazing into the fountain as well, and for a minute, both of them were silent._

_"Do you know what I see?" Flynn asked. "I see—"_

_"Let me guess," Rapunzel cut him off, "you see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady. Oh, and I'm here too." Then Rapunzel giggled. "Of course, I couldn't really see you calling yourself a strong, confident, beautiful young lady."_

_"No, not exactly my description," Flynn chuckled. But then he moved out of the way, so only Rapunzel's reflection shone in the glimmering water. "But really. I don't just see a strong, confident, beautiful young lady when I look at you. I see Rapunzel: A strong, confident, beautiful, funny, smart, brave, cute, optimistic, all around amazing young lady."_

_Rapunzel smiled and looked back into the fountain._

_"Now, what do _you _see?" Flynn asked._

_"I see…" Rapunzel whispered, "…all those things." She turned back to face Flynn. "Thank you."_

_"Hey, no problem," Flynn shrugged._

_Rapunzel looked back into the fountain one more time. "Flynn, remember when…I almost lost you…and…I said that you were my new dream?"_

_"Yeah," Flynn nodded._

_Then, all of a sudden, the young princess turned and embraced Flynn in a tight, warm hug, and Flynn returned her gesture. All the love that Flynn had been reluctant to show was given to Rapunzel in this warm embrace, and then that beautiful girl whispered something that made Flynn's heart soar._

_"You still are."_

O-O-O-O-O

Even in a place as dark as this, those brilliant memories of her flooded his mind, and it made Flynn collapse onto the ground at how powerful they were. And now, to think of that brilliant girl…lost…possibly hurt…

And Flynn was powerless to stop it.

So Flynn did the only thing he could do; something he had always been reluctant to do…something he never swore he would ever do again…but secretly, that girl had brought it out in him.

He began to sing.

It was quietly, so no one could hear him, but he could hear himself, and right now, a beautiful moment he had shared with Rapunzel could be treasured right here, right now.

"_All those days  
Chasing down a daydream  
All those years  
Living in a blur  
All that time  
Never truly seeing  
Things the way they were  
Now she's here  
Shining in the starlight  
Now she's here  
Suddenly I know  
If she's here  
It's crystal clear  
I'm where I'm meant to go_

_And at last, I see the light_

_And it's like the fog has lifted  
And at last, I see the light  
And it's like the sky is new  
_

_And it's warm and real and bright  
And the world has somehow shifted  
All at once  
Everything is different  
Now that I see you  
Now that I see you."_

O-O-O-O-O

Early the next morning, Flynn awoke to the deafening clang of his cell door and a painful ache in his back. Before he could even comprehend what was going on, the palace guards had already swooped in and chained his wrists, and then began leading him away.

_Oh, yeah, _Flynn thought, _Now I remember. I'm being dragged off to trial because of some crime I didn't commit against my one true love. That makes perfect sense._

As the doors were swung open from the dark dungeon and Flynn was led into the blinding sunlight, he wondered where Rapunzel really was, and what she was doing. She was brave, that was true, but there was only so much one girl could take. She was probably lost…hurt…abandoned…

_Or dead._ The thought stabbed Flynn like a knife. How? How could he have let this happen?

The previous night, Flynn did nothing but think of possible suspects that would have wanted to steal his beloved. So far, he had come up with only three, but facts proved them impossible. His first two suspects were the Stabbington Brothers, whom he had worked with in the past and had a grudge against Flynn for foiling their plans. But that just didn't fit, because Flynn had seen them both locked up in their cells when he was led to the dungeon. No, that couldn't be right.

His next suspicion was Gothel, mainly because of his troubling dream. But, no, that wasn't right either. As much as she haunted him in his dreams, Gothel was dead, and there was nothing that could change that.

So, Flynn was right back down to nothing. No clues, no facts, no ideas…he'd never felt so powerless in his life.

As the group of guards led the accused criminal towards the throne room, Flynn thought about what was really puzzling him: What did the King mean when he said he had _proof_? That was impossible—unless it was some kind of freak misunderstanding. But if Flynn had no idea what he did, how could he explain that to the king?

_Come on, Eugene, think, think!_ Flynn told himself in his brain. But he was not the best personal coach, and as the doors to the throne room were heaved open, and Flynn was led, defeated, before the King and Queen, he at once found himself at complete loss for words.

"Flynn Rider," the King boomed, his angry gaze fixed on the shackled young man. "You have been summoned to this court because you have been convicted of the…kidnapping of Princess Rapunzel." Flynn could tell it troubled the King to speak of his missing daughter. Meanwhile, the Queen sat beside her husband, gazing worriedly at Flynn. She said nothing, but Flynn could see the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" the king asked, fire in his eyes. Flynn was surprised. The King was usually so good-natured…Flynn had never seen him this angry before.

"Sir, I…" Flynn took a deep breath. "It's true, in the past, I've lied, and thieved, and as I look back at myself, I realize all the _terrible _things that I've done, but…" he looked up and stared sincerely at both the king and queen. "…I would _never_, _ever_, put another human being in danger. And especially Rapunzel. She is…the most _amazing_ person I've ever met, and I…couldn't imagine anything happening to her. If…it did…" Flynn had to bite his lip to try to get through the sorrowful images in his mind. "…I…I don't think I could bear it. Your highness, I _am_ innocent. And I'm not just saying this for my own good. I'm saying this for Rapunzel. _Your daughter's_. I know she's out there, and the sooner we figure out who the real culprit is, the sooner we can find her—and—and bring her home! Because…I want nothing more…than to see her safe." Flynn took one more deep breath, his eyes shut and fists clenched behind his back. "Please…Please, sir, you _have_ to believe me."

The King and Queen were both silent during Flynn's heartfelt speech, and finally, the Queen now spoke up.

"Is there anything else…Eugene?"

Flynn was shocked. The Queen herself…she had called him Eugene. She really did care. Perhaps now was the time to ask…

"And…if I may…Your highness, what kind of proof did you find against me?"

"That will not be discussed right now," the captain of the guard, who was stationed right in front of the King and Queen's thrones, spoke up, and Flynn shot him an agitated glare. But then, the king solemnly nodded.

"He's right. I'm sorry, Rider, but I can't reveal that to you," the King said. Then, he let out a sigh and stood up from his throne. "Alright, Rider. I think we've heard enough." He turned to his guards and nodded. "Please lead him out, so we can deliberate concerning his sentencing or freedom."

The guards nodded, and—in a rather rough manner—led Flynn out of the throne room and shut the door, so the monarchy, the captain of the guard, and some of the other council members could debate.

Flynn dared not speak to the guards, who seemed to eye him suspiciously with every breath he took, but instead, he thought to himself.

_I think I did pretty well…well, of course I did, I was telling the complete and honest truth…for once. _Flynn sighed. Would his reputation alter his chances of a fair sentence? He thought of how Pascal had shown him what happened. _Maybe I should have brought the frog… _He thought of Rapunzel's little pet, which had been placed back in Rapunzel's room after Flynn's arrest.

The more Flynn thought, the more his emotions swayed. One minute, he felt comforted that he would be led to justice, and the other, he felt anxious that the royal figures would deny him fair sentence just because of his criminal past. Even if he got years or even life in prison, it would be worth it if they would just keep looking for Rapunzel.

_But still, the King must have trusted me, at least a little. Both the King and Queen seemed like they truly believed what I said…The Queen even called me Eugene! But what…what is this 'proof' stuff? _Flynn still was baffled about what had been said.

After what seemed like years of waiting, drowning in his own anxiety, the doors finally opened and Flynn saw the captain of the guard step out and command the others. "Bring Rider back inside. It's been decided."

Flynn took a deep breath and prayed for a miracle as he stepped through the door, once again before the King, Queen, and a few other officials.

But what met him was certainly not a miracle.

"Flynn Rider," the King announced, "you are hereby sentenced to execution by hanging for the proven kidnapping of Princess Rapunzel, to be carried out this evening."


	4. I Will Find Her

**YAY! Chapter 4! It's a little shorter than some of the others, but I tried to give you an adequate amount of reading material.**

**I think in the last chapter it sounded sort of dumb that Flynn was just sentenced without any questioning about Rapunzel's location whatsoever, so I sort of included it in this chapter. Whoops! :-)**

**Anyway, I am SO happy that this is getting so many great reviews! Thank you everyone who commented. A lot of people have said they are eagerly awaiting the next chapter so I'm trying to belt them out as fast as possible-Hey, even I want to know what happens next!**

**Dear Tangled,**

**I do not own you.**

**Signed, Sheep 1215.**

****

"Flynn Rider, you are hereby sentenced to execution by hanging for the proven kidnapping of Princess Rapunzel, to be carried out this evening."

The King's words slammed Flynn like a brick. Before he could even gather his bearings, the guards were upon him, pulling him away to the dungeon to await his incoming doom.

"No!" Flynn yelled, struggling with all his might. "Please! Sir, you don't understand!" Flynn fought his hardest against his attackers, but he was overpowered. "I did nothing wrong!"

"Evidence states otherwise," the King said angrily, though Flynn could see the hint of sorrow in his eyes.

Flynn wouldn't give up. "But it wasn't me! You have to believe me! What evidence do you have against me? I have a right to know! I have a right to—"

Before Flynn could say anything else, the Captain of the Guard walked straight up to Flynn and clasped a gloved hand tight over his mouth. Though Flynn's muffled screams still rang out, the guard took no heed.

"See to it that the prisoner gets what he deserves," he ordered the other guards. "Make sure he doesn't escape—we've had enough of this nonsense."

The captain's hard eyes drilled into Flynn's, and all Flynn could do was shoot him an icy glare back.

Suddenly, Flynn felt himself being yanked back once again, but an image of Rapunzel flashed through his mind. It couldn't end—not now! He had to be there!

For her.

Flynn somehow managed to jerk his head away from the Captain's glove. "Wait—" he yelled out to the king, though the captain tried to cut off his pleas once again. "What—" Finally, Flynn summoned all his strength, and tore away from the massive group of guards. All his emotion welling up inside him—overwhelming him because of such a chaotic series of events—finally was released, in four words that revealed what he truly cared about.

"What about your daughter?"

The King jolted up, and held out his hand for quiet. Immediately, all the guards halted and fell in attention, even the enraged Captain. Flynn stood, trying to catch his breath. The King slowly began to walk towards him.

Was this good or bad? Flynn had no clue.

Finally, the King stepped down from the platform in which his throne rested on and leaned in close to the accused kidnapper's face.

"You will _tell_ me where my daughter is, Rider," he said grimly. "What have you done to her?"

"Your highness…" Flynn searched for words. He needed to do two things—get himself _out_ of this predicament _and_ save Rapunzel, wherever she was. And no smolder was going to save him this time. No, he really needed to think. "I…I don't know where she is, but—"

"Do not lie to your king!" the King commanded furiously, leaning in even closer to Flynn. "You will—"

Suddenly, the King fell silent as a hand was placed on his shoulder. He moved aside to reveal the Queen, who gazed at him with as much reassurance as she could muster. She then looked at Flynn, and moved close to speak to him.

"You honestly…don't know?" she asked, her voice no more than a whisper.

Flynn shook his head.

Before the Queen could reply, the Captain of the guard stepped in. "Lies! These are nothing more than lies from a dedicated criminal! I—What about your evidence?"

"Silence," the Queen held up her hand, cutting off the gaping-mouthed captain. Instead, she gently turned back to Flynn, and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Though I am queen, I am only one person," she sighed apologetically. "I cannot completely change what has been decided…"

"Then let me find her," Flynn pleaded, his voice just as low as hers. If he could find Rapunzel…that was all that mattered. But if he was gone, then both of them were doomed. "Please. And then, when I get back, you can…do whatever you want with me." Flynn hung his head. He knew he had just written his own death sentence, basically. What if he couldn't find her? He felt the tight pull of the noose around his neck already.

The King stepped forward, his eyes sad but his face suspicious. "What guarantee is there that you won't run as soon as we let you out into the open?"

"If you want, I won't go alone…" Flynn said, drawing in a breath. "You could send out a patrol of guards to, you know, uh…guard me." Flynn sighed. The idea of being surrounded by those goons again was the most irritating thing ever. And he knew, no matter how much they drove him, ditching them was _not_ an option if he wanted to live to see another day. But he knew who could help. "I have just one request. Just let me take Max and Pascal. That's all I ask. And I _will_ find Rapunzel."

The whole room was deathly quiet, and Flynn swore everyone could hear his heart pounding, about to burst out of his chest. Would they let him go? If they did, how would he find her?

Where on earth was she now?

Finally, Flynn thought he saw a flicker of hope in the King's eye as he stepped up to answer Flynn.

"Three days," he said with a nod. "I will give you three days to find my daughter. You may take Maximus and Pascal, but _do not_, under _any _circumstances, play _any_ tricks whatsoever." He pointed to his group of guards. "You will be closely monitored. You will be joined by the Captain and some of my most trusted officials."

The Captain's face flooded with anger, but he said nothing.

Flynn's heart soared. Three days wasn't long, but he _would_ find her. He had to. He would search all day, all night, every second of every minute of every hour in those three days. He would find Rapunzel.

Then the King leaned in close, speaking quietly to where only Flynn could hear.

"I…I believe in you, Rider," he whispered. "I really…" he let out a sigh, "I really think you're innocent. But, this evidence I've received…it's just…I trust it _so_ well. And anyone who would dare do that to my daughter…" The King looked pained, and shut his eyes tight. "I'm sorry, I should have been easier on you. I was overwhelmed. And it was the overall decision…"

Flynn felt extremely sorry for the man. He had just gotten his daughter back and then she was ripped away from him once again. I mean, sure, Flynn loved Rapunzel so intensely, and it broke his heart to know she was out there, all alone in such a dangerous environment…but this was the King's flesh and blood. And now Flynn felt better, knowing that the King wasn't all to blame for such a harsh sentence.

Flynn gave him a nod. "Thank you, sir. And I will work my hardest. I _will_ find her."

The King looked up, and drilled his eyes into Flynn's own.

"Rider…Bring. Her. _Back._ Bring her back safe, alive, and…please, just bring back my daughter."

"I will," Flynn promised with a nod, as the King stepped back over to his wife. Though, it was only seconds later that Flynn realized the weight of his promise. He would try his best, sure…but if he couldn't find her? Well, he would have let down the father of the one he loved most. He thought about Rapunzel. She'd be so heartbroken if she knew Flynn had done that.

That's why he _was_ going to find her. He was going to find Rapunzel, safe and sound, and then he was going to bring her back. And then…and then he'd tell her. He'd tell her everything he'd hidden inside since the day he fell for that amazing girl. Sure, they'd exchanged loving words and actions and such, but this time would be different.

This time, he would give her the ring.

O-O-O-O-O

Immediately, Flynn was back in his nice palace room (under guard of course) packing away all his things. Being an experienced on the run criminal, he knew what to and what not to bring. Only those things that were really necessary. His coat, vest, the shoes on his feet and the clothes he was wearing, a bit of food…

Well, that was easy.

Slipping Pascal into his pocket, he then walked out of the room, wondering if he would ever see it again.

Next, the guards led him down to the stables, where immediately after getting Maximus and their own horses, they would leave and head out to find the once again lost princess.

With every step he took, Flynn thought more and more about what he was getting himself into. But then, he realized that he was just making the chance larger—the chance that his true love would be found and safe and home. With him. And he'd never let anything like this happen again.

He would search high and low—everywhere—heck, he'd search the whole world if he had enough time. Because Rapunzel…Rapunzel _was_ his world. And he would give anything to have her back with him again.

Even his own life.

_I'm coming, Blondie,_ Flynn thought to himself, wishing Rapunzel could hear him from so far away. _And I will find you. Because…_

_I love you._


	5. Fruitless Efforts

**Sorry that this is sort of a short chapter once again. I wanted to get to the exciting part, but that doesn't really happen until the next chapter, and I'm really eager to get to that-hopefully I'll be able to put it out tomorrow morning.**

**Sorry if this doesn't have the _POW_ factor of the other chapters. Like I said, I'm sort of in a hurry to get to chapter 6, but I had to explain what happened after they left to go on the search.**

**But anyway, I hope you like it anyway, and keep watching out for Chapter 6!**

**Wow...I bet this chapter feels loved.**

**I do not own Tangled...Or do I? No, seriously, I don't.**

In Flynn's mind, he and his group could have done a much better job reaching the woods.

In fact, now that he thought about it, they could have done a much better job with _everything_.

_What was I thinking, allowing these idiots to come with me? _Flynn thought, scowling at the fact that the guards had decided to go in the _complete wrong direction! _Honestly, Flynn couldn't believe that these morons worked for the King.

As soon as they had left the castle, the Captain had suggested—no, more like dictated—that they should do a sweep of the kingdom to see if anyone had seen the kidnapper. Well, Flynn already knew that was a complete waste of time. Anyone with half a mind would flee the kingdom, especially if they had kidnapped the princess!

But as unwilling as he was, Flynn _had_ to go with it. So he gritted his teeth and endured the wasted hours of interrogating just about everyone in the kingdom with pointless questions.

Finally, after a heated argument that almost turned violent, Flynn finally was able to persuade the Captain that they should search in the woods.

So, there they were, Flynn on Maximus's back, and the guards leading in front of him. The part that really ticked him off was the fact that, just a few minutes after they had entered the dense foliage, Maximus, the bloodhound in a horse costume, had detected Rapunzel's scent almost immediately. He began leading them to the east, and Flynn trusted him all the way. After all, that horse had a really strong connection with Rapunzel, ever since her rescue.

But the guards thought otherwise. They recommended searching towards the west, because a bunch of thugs roamed the taverns up there. Well, of course Flynn knew the pub thugs—and they wouldn't lay a finger on Rapunzel. They adored that girl. Heck, they had helped Flynn escape prison just to rescue her. But there was no point trying to argue. The guards would always win. Basically, they controlled his fate.

So, there Flynn was, being led around against his will by his lifelong foes, getting even farther and farther from finding Rapunzel.

What a day.

The only good thing that had come out of this was when Flynn was wasting time interrogating the kingdom folk, he had gotten one of them to lend him a frying pan, (no stealing this time) which he had smuggled into a small pack connected to Maximus's saddle. He figured that baby would come in handy—heck, even someone so sweet like Rapunzel was vicious with one of those.

He couldn't stop thinking of her…Rapunzel…Though she could take care of herself, to a point, she wasn't invincible. What if he had gone out too late? What if the minutes they were wasting looking where there obviously was no princess were making a difference between life or death for his love?

That was it. They were obviously going the wrong way, and Flynn wasn't going to endanger Rapunzel's life for some upstart guards who thought they were always right.

Flynn quietly slowed Maximus to a halt, and then, when the guards were a good few yards ahead of him, Flynn pulled Max's reins and bolted—no, like, full speed, sonic boom kind of bolted—and raced off into the opposite direction.

_Free at last,_ Flynn thought, not dare saying it out loud, for fear another frying pan would fly out of nowhere and land him a concussive blow upside the head. He had a phobia of those things now—you know, when he wasn't using them himself.

Flynn pulled his canteen out of his vest pocket and slung it over his shoulder. If the guards came after him, he could just tell them he was running off to get water. Which, actually, was the truth. He was _so_ thirsty; he hadn't had anything to drink since the night before. Good thing the river was off to the east. While Flynn was getting a drink, he'd send Max off to see if he could get another trace of Rapunzel.

As much as Flynn argued with himself, he couldn't help but feel that all this was _his _fault. If he hadn't been so engrossed in that dream…or if he had chosen to visit her just a little while earlier…maybe he could have saved Rapunzel…

He couldn't shake images from his mind of her…the horrible things whoever took her could have done…

As he raced ahead, he just let the horse lead him for a while—or, _them_, really—Flynn had almost forgotten about Pascal until the green chameleon scurried out of his coat pocket and skittered up his arm. He looked up at Flynn with anxious eyes and tilted his head curiously.

"No, not yet," Flynn answered. "But we _will _find her. I'm not going to let anything happen to her. I'll find her if it's the last thing I do."

And the more Flynn thought about it, there was _actually_ a possibility that it might be the last thing he ever did.

O-O-O-O-O

It'd been a while, but Flynn had made some ground since leaving the guards. He'd checked Rapunzel's tower, but all he had found was what was left of Gothel down at the bottom—her empty cloak and dress. He'd called up to the tower, just to be sure, but there had been no reply.

The next place they searched was what Flynn used to call "The Escape Route". It was a secret path surrounded by all kinds of thorns and poisonous plants and tricky branches that no one but a criminal would dare journey through. But still, he spotted no footprints—no criminals had used that way recently. If any convict had kidnapped Rapunzel, they hadn't used that route.

Everywhere they searched was a good place that a kidnapper might hide or a path that one might journey on, but there was no sign of any human activity. Or Rapunzel.

Hope had risen, and now it had crashed down. Flynn had been so sure of himself…

Maybe he couldn't do it.

No, that was just stupid. There was no way he was giving up so easily. He would find her. In his heart, he had promised her. And now, just like her, he never, _ever_ broke a promise. Especially to Rapunzel.

Finally, Flynn just stopped for a moment to calm down and _think_. Besides, though Max didn't look tired, he had worked himself to _death_ today. That horse deserved a chance to just stop and take a break.

Flynn patted the horse on the flank. "Nice job, Max." He turned the reins and slowly began to lead the horse back to the river. Max could get a drink while Flynn had a moment to clear his mind and rework his strategy.

As the river came in sight, Max suddenly froze, and made a sharp turn to the right, and then began running off into the denser part of the forest.

"Woah!" Flynn yelped, ducking a low-lying branch just in time. "O…K…? What—What are we—"

Suddenly, Flynn realized something. Maximus had had this same kind of reaction while they were by the river earlier, and he had run off in this direction. Maybe…he had found something?

Flynn's heart soared. He knew that, somehow, he would be able to come through. Now he would find Rapunzel, and he'd take her home, and tell her…tell her how much he really cared…

Lost in his thoughts, Flynn was not expecting the sudden _thud_ that met Maximus's front, and all of a sudden, Flynn was thrown from the horse, flew through the air, and landed in the dirt with a thud.

Flexing his jaw to make sure it wasn't broken as he rose painfully from the ground, Flynn was surprised to see two bronze boots right in front of his face.

_Oh, man._

He looked up slowly, and found himself staring up into the angered face of the Captain himself.


	6. The Truth Revealed

**OK! IT IS HERE! Chapter 6 is where things start all falling in place! I figure we're about a little more than halfway done, but that's just a rough estimate. Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to dish out more chapters for all you people who say that the suspense is _killing_ you (don't worry, it's killing me too)! But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one.**

**Oh...wow...all this time I've been trying to make a line to seperate the story and I finally found the horizontal ruler. DUH! I know...I'm smart.**

**If I owned Tangled, that would be AMAZINGLY FANTASTICALLY SPLENDIFOROUSLY ! Unfortunately, I don't. *Sigh*.**

**

* * *

**

"Rider!" the Captain bellowed, leaning down so he practically spat in Flynn's face. "Would you mind telling me what you're doing _running off from the group on your own_?"

Flynn groped around for his canteen, and then held it up as he rose to his feet. "Getting water, sir," Flynn said, quite irritated at the fact he had to address this jerk as "sir". "And—"

The Captain cut him off, shoving him back onto the ground, where Flynn fell, bursting with surprise and then anger. "Now, wait just a minute! I—"

"_You_ will not talk back, Rider, if you know what's good for you."

Flynn glared at the Captain, but said nothing. No way could he find Rapunzel if this guard suddenly chose to make a shish-kebob out of him with his sword.

Flynn silently rose to his feet, not taking his icy glare off the Captain. Meanwhile, behind him, Maximus was snorting and pounding his hoof in the dirt, but he was blocked by the Captain's own horse.

"I think Maximus found Rapunzel," Flynn announced, mounting the white stallion. "He seemed to have found something just past these trees—"

"Well, it must have been something else," the Captain cut him off once again, "because our search party was on a path, before _you _played one of your slimy little tricks again." Before Flynn could react, the Captain unsheathed his sword and held the point towards Flynn. "Now, then, are we going to have any more problems?"

_We will if you keep cutting me off,_ Flynn thought, but he just stared at the Captain in icy silence, and then pulled on Maximus's reins so the horse reluctantly turned around.

"Honestly," Flynn heard the Captain huff behind him as Flynn seethed in resentment. "Why on earth did I ever allow the King to let _you_ out into the woods again?"

Flynn froze at the sound of the Captain's statement and then spun around, eyeing the guard suspiciously.

"Because he's the _King_," Flynn answered sternly. "You don't have to _allow_ him to do anything. He makes the rules around here."

The Captain clenched his fists at Flynn's reply, and then pulled out his sword once again, this time holding it so close Flynn could feel the point through his vest.

"What do you know about _rules,_ Rider?" the Captain growled. "All you ever seem to do is break them."

That statement was piercing—worse than the sword—to the point to where the only thing Flynn wanted to _break_ was the Captain's arm. But he kept quiet, though it was intolerably hard. All this time, Flynn had worked to lose that horrible image that everyone had grown to know, and all this guy was doing was bringing back the past he'd tried so hard to forget.

When Flynn looked down, he realized that he was gripping Maximus's reins so tightly his knuckles were white. Taking a deep breath through his nose to stop himself from punching something, he sent Max on, though he had to travel at an extremely slow pace. The Captain had gotten onto his own horse, and was now herding Flynn through the woods like he was cattle. This was ridiculous.

_"What do you know about _rules, _Rider? All you ever seem to do is break them."_

The Captain's harsh words echoed through Flynn's mind, and though he didn't want to admit it, he was hurt. His criminal past was something everybody seemed to cling onto, and never let him shake it. And even now, when the prominence of it all was slowly starting to fade away…the Captain just reminded him that it probably would _never_ fade…No matter how much he tried, people would remember him as Flynn Rider: The kingdom's worst thief. Before, he would have been proud. But now…

Flynn sighed and shook his head. As Max trotted through a small clearing in the woods, Flynn felt the first drops of rain from an imminent storm.

It felt like the first signs of his imminent failure.

O-O-O-O-O

"We will rest here until the storm passes," the Captain announced, once he had grouped together Flynn and his other guards and found a dense cover-up of undergrowth. Flynn could think of a _lot_ of better places to stay out of the rain in the wilderness, but he didn't bother to speak up. He already knew what the reply would be, and he didn't want to waste his time.

In fact, right now, his thoughts were fixated on Rapunzel. Was she outside, cold and alone in the rain? Flynn had wasted a day of his search doing practically nothing. And one day was a long time, for both him and his love. He couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, if he had been able to go a little bit farther before the Captain caught him, he would have been able to find Rapunzel, and then she probably would be safe in the castle with him. Instead, they were both out in the same horrendous storm.

Flynn sat in the grass, looking through the twisted branches and vines to see if he could spot the moon, but if the dense foliage didn't keep it hidden, the dark clouds certainly did.

_I'm sorry, Blondie, _Flynn sighed in his mind. He felt horrible. _I should have kept going. I should have found you. Why—why was I so _stupid_?_

In his reaction to that, Flynn pounded his fist on the ground and then put his head in his hands, completely exasperated.

"Why…?" he murmured to himself, "Why didn't I keep going…why didn't I find her…save her…? Why?"

And like this, he sat, thinking on how things could have been different, until the tiresome day overtook him and he finally drifted off into a troubled sleep.

O-O-O-O-O

"_Blondie?" Flynn chuckled, stepping through the forest. The sun was shining bright and the sky was turquoise blue. Things were good. "I know you're in here!"_

_And he did, he just wasn't sure where. It was almost if they were playing hide-and-seek, and Flynn could feel himself getting closer and closer to Rapunzel's hiding spot, and he couldn't wait to jump out and surprise her._

_Suddenly, he reached a group of bushes. He knew Rapunzel was just behind there—somehow, he just knew. A big grin came over his face as he crouched back, and then leapt through the bushes like some kind of animal._

_"Gotcha!"_

_But when he got past the bushes, no one was there. Confused, he looked up into the tall trees, and relieved, he spotted Rapunzel, sitting on one of the limbs, looking down at him with wide, curious green eyes. She looked just the way he had left her that night—in her favorite lavender nightgown, her tiara topping her pixie-cut brunette hair._

_"Alright, Blondie," Flynn chuckled, "You can come down now."_

_Rapunzel gazed strangely at him but said nothing._

_Flynn looked up at her, confused. Hadn't she heard him? He decided to try again._

_"Rapunzel, seriously, come down from the tree," Flynn crossed his arms. "I don't want a hawk thinking you're a noontime snack."_

_Rapunzel still was silent, only blinking in reply._

_Now Flynn was a bit concerned. "Rapunzel…it's me, Eugene. Can you get down?"_

_Suddenly, Rapunzel's gaze changed from one of curiosity to one of sheer horror._

_"You…" she said breathlessly, clutching onto the tree. "You—You were the one! You let them take me! You let me go!"_

_Flynn cringed in shock. What was she talking about? He would never let anyone take her. He loved her with every bit of his heart and soul; and he would protect her until the day he died._

_"Rapunzel…I didn't—"_

_"No!" Rapunzel screamed. "Don't lie to me! You let them! You let them take me! You let them hurt me! YOU LET ME GO!"_

_"Rapunzel, no, please!" Flynn shook his head, horrified that his one true love was accusing him of doing such a thing. "I would never—"_

_"You did! You let me go! I hate you!"_

_Flynn gasped at Rapunzel's cruel words. He couldn't let her believe that! Why? Why was she so upset?_

_Why did he let her go?_

_Now he remembered. He should have kept walking—should have found her—should have pressed on and taken her home, where she could be safe!_

_"I hate you!" Rapunzel yelled out again. "You let them take me! You let me go! You—"_

_Suddenly, Rapunzel gasped as the branch she was sitting on cracked, and then began plummeting to the ground, along with her screaming figure._

_"Rapunzel!" Flynn dove forward to rescue her, but he found himself glued to the spot. As much as he tried, he was frozen. "Rapunzel, no!"_

_All he could do was watch helplessly as the precious girl fell, down…down…_

_And he was powerless to stop it._

O-O-O-O-O

Flynn awoke with a start, surrounded by wet ferns and soaked grass. He was back in the forest, but now, it was the dead of night. The storm had passed, and he was free from his dream.

Or was he? Rapunzel's words still echoed inside his mind. "_You let me go!_" And it cut through him worse than any sword or any knife or anything whatsoever. Had he really let her down? He had, hadn't he…He _had_ let her go.

Flynn stood up and saw the sleeping guards around him, knowing that the horses were out, sleeping in the clear where it had rained. Flynn thought that definitely was a mix-up, as it was those useless guards who should have been out in the rain. Maximus had done most of the work anyway.

He needed to get out of here—get away from all this confinement that the guards were pressing on him. Quietly, he rose to his feet, happy that he still had a little bit of stealth from his thieving days, and emerged from the thick foliage. A walk was just what he needed. He needed to think. That seemed to be all he had been doing for the past twenty-four hours.

Just as Flynn stepped out, he heard voices and immediately threw himself into the cover of a big-leafed plant. He had completely forgot! The Captain had assigned guards to patrol in shifts during the night, while the others slept. He claimed it was to keep an eye out for the princess, but Flynn knew exactly what they were doing: just making sure he had no chance of running off again.

Sure enough, he saw the silhouettes of two armored figures standing just a few yards away. The feathered-plume shape atop one's helmet revealed that it was none other than the Captain himself.

"So, what do we do?" the other guard asked, his voice hushed. "We can't keep doing this. He'll find out eventually…I can already tell he's on to us."

As Flynn listened intently, he was 99% sure that they were talking about _him_. He leaned in more to the shadows, keeping an ear out to try and catch every quiet word.

"Well, what do you expect?" the Captain's voice came angrily. "Eventually, it's going to look suspicious that we're always going in the wrong direction! Rider is a thief—of course he's going to try and outsmart us, and we can't risk him succeeding."

_Was,_ Flynn thought angrily. _I _was_ a thi—wait, what? They know they're going in the wrong direction? _Something was definitely wrong here.

"So…what are we going to do?" the other guard asked again.

"If we wait until his execution date," the Captain explained, "there's no guarantee that he won't find out on his own."

Flynn gasped inwardly and held his breath so he could hear even better. Find out _what_?

Suddenly, Flynn heard the all-too-familiar sound of a sword sliding out of its sheath, and he saw the Captain put the blade in his hand.

"I'll have to take care of him myself. Besides, I have a score to settle with that lawbreaker. It'll be quick and easy, so long as he remains asleep."

The other guard chuckled. "I like your style, Cap'n. But…what about the girl?"

"I _told _you—the princess is out of the way," the Captain chuckled. "We couldn't have her going back and squealing to Daddy about her precious little loverboy."

Flynn's whole body jolted up. Wait, did they say, _princess?_

Rapunzel!

No…no, it couldn't be…How could he have overlooked them? Now, it made sense. They stole Rapunzel. That's why there was no trace…Flynn was enraged. How dare they? They were going to pay. Flynn would make sure of it.

"So, after Rider's out of the way—"

"We'll head back like nothing happened," The Captain barked. He's a goner either way. I'm just…saving the King some trouble. The poor man has enough on his chest anyway, with—"

Suddenly, Flynn burst from the leaves, his fists clenched and his whole body seething with rage.

"Where is _she_?" he shouted, his yell echoing throughout the whole entire forest. "What have you done with her?"

Both guards looked surprised, but then, the Captain remembered the sword in his hand and evilly grinned.

"Nothing much," he said menacingly, "The princess just went for a little _swim_…"

The river! Now Flynn knew why Maximus had run off when they had been down there. She was there! They had—Oh. Oh, no…

Flynn couldn't believe what he was hearing. His whole body racked with grief, which morphed into shock, and then, indescribable anger.

"How _dare_ you!" Flynn yelled out. "You—You—"

"Save your breath, Rider, you don't have many left," the Captain grinned, as the other guard ran off to warn the others. He stepped forward menacingly, his sword gleaming in the moonlight. "When the king sentenced you to hang, I thought that the evidence that he had was enough…but then he sent you out with _every eyewitness _to your crime."

Now it all pieced together. "You…" Flynn gasped. "_You _were the proof! The trusted source! You told the king you saw me do it! You _set me up_!"

"Not just me," the Captain ran his hand over the blade. "Everyone who joined you on this hunt. We all conspired, Rider, because we all have a score to settle with you…"

"But, Rapunzel!" Flynn stomped his foot, enraged that any monster would go _this_ far, just to get to _him_! "You killed her…just to get to me?"

"Why else?" the Captain shrugged. "At first, we considered just hiding her until you were out of the way, but then we realized that as soon as she told the King, we would be joining you at the gallows. So…we made a few plan adjustments."

"No—No…" Flynn was still in shock. She was gone…that beautiful, beautiful treasure of his heart, was gone.

And it was all the Captain's fault.

"Now, let's get this over with, Rider," the Captain held his sword out towards Flynn. "You have nothing to live for anyway, am I correct?"

Flynn hung his head, his body heaving with angry breaths and clenching his fists as tears ran down his face. The Captain was right. He might as well die now…

…because he already had inside.

"Excellent," the Captain grinned, holding his sword up to Flynn's throat. But, before he made the fatal attack, he leaned in close to whisper in Flynn's ear.

"And you thought that she loved you…"

Suddenly, Flynn snapped. He threw himself back with a cry, sweeping the Captain off his feet. In one swift move, he swiped the sword out of the Captain's hand and pointed it towards the fallen man, ready to attack at a moment's notice. He could hear the voices of the other guards, who were all coming to apprehend him as well, but he didn't care.

All he could think of was Rapunzel.

"You…" he breathed to the guard, "…are a liar, and a coward, and more of a criminal than I ever was."

"Maybe so, Rider…" the Captain still grinned, even though a sharp blade was inches from his nose. "But there's a difference between you and me. _I _will never be caught…"

Suddenly, Flynn felt the jerk of rough hands on him as they yanked his arms behind his back. He was forced to drop the sword as he was overpowered by a swarm of guards, and he angrily glared at the Captain as he rose to his feet.

"…_You_ just were."

* * *

**GASP! **

**Sorry, just had to add that.**

**YAY FOR HORIZONTAL RULERS!**


	7. I Let Her Go

**Here's Chapter 7, as promised! (Sorry it's kind of short) Hopefully this relieves some of your suspense (or might make it worse...whoops) either way, hope you enjoy it. Who knows? Maybe I'll get Chapter 8 out tonight, too! (Yeah, not likely...I WISH THOUGH!)**

**:-) GO HORIZONTAL RULER! Ok, that's enough.**

**Bob: Hey, do you own Tangled?**

**Sheep1215: No. No I do not.**

**Bob: Well...that stinks.**

* * *

As Flynn stared at the sharp blade only inches from his face, he realized that there truly was no way out of this situation. A huge army of guards had him restrained beyond escape, and the Captain was just about to carry out his execution two days early. Now that Flynn thought about it, he realized that when he had that sword pointed at the Captain, no matter how angry he was, there was no way he would be able to kill somebody. Stealing was one thing, but murder…

Only someone horrific would be able to do that, and Flynn wasn't that kind of man.

The Captain, however, seemed to show no hesitation as he moved in close to Flynn, triumphant that he was finally about to bring down his worst enemy.

"Are you aware that you talk in your sleep, Rider?" the Captain pointed out, lowering his voice to a hiss. "You let her go."

All Flynn could do was breathe in deep and give the Captain a killer glare.

"Any last requests?" the Captain sneered, staring into Flynn's eyes, which were mixed with fire and tears.

Suddenly, Flynn felt a little wriggling in his front vest pocket, and a second later, Pascal poked his tired little head out of the pocket. However, as soon as he spotted the Captain, he quickly and frightfully changed his color to match that of Flynn's vest.

Suddenly, Flynn had an idea.

"Um, actually, yes…" Flynn nodded. He then turned down to the little chameleon. "Pascal, get him!"

Without a second to lose, Pascal hopped up and stuck his tongue in the surprised Captain's ear, causing him to yelp out and drop his sword. With lightning-fast speed, Pascal scurried up Flynn's shoulder, shooting out his abnormally-long tongue and planting it in the ear of every guard accessible, causing them to let go of Flynn to bat the reptile off of their shoulder. Finally, Flynn had been completely released, and he wasted no time in grabbing Pascal and bolting off to where the horses were. He needed to get Max.

They needed to get out of there. Now.

Flynn's thoughts were a blur as he flung himself up on top of the horse, which had awakened in all the chaos. Slipping Pascal back into his pocket, he started Maximus on a run. He didn't know where he'd end up, or where he wanted to end up…

He just knew he had to get away.

Numbed by grief, he let the tears fall. The pain was unimaginable—he couldn't believe she was gone. Sweet, beautiful, innocent Rapunzel…lost forever.

"I'm so sorry," Flynn choked out, as if Rapunzel could hear him. "I should have found you…I should have saved you…I should have let them take _me_ instead…Oh, Blondie, I'm so sorry they did this to you…"

He let Maximus run freely as he leaned his head against the horse's mane, letting out all his emotion in a never-ending line of tears. Flynn had never cried like this…

…but he had never loved anyone like this, either.

Flynn barely noticed that they had lost the guards, after Maximus had ducked into a tunnel of ivy to keep them from being seen. Flynn was still overwhelmed by his grief. How could someone…anyone…do something this cruel?

And all that time in hiding, Flynn Rider cried for his lost princess.

Because he had broken his promise.

O-O-O-O-O

Flynn had no idea how long he had been in that tunnel, but he knew that when he finally ran out of tears, the sun was just beginning to appear and the guards were long gone.

Flynn slowly emerged from the tunnel, with Maximus following close behind him, with a sorrowful expression. Even the horse seemed to understand what was going on.

Flynn stared at the sun through his watery eyes, and though the sun was rising, it felt like it was setting on all his hopes.

He had failed Rapunzel.

And now, nothing mattered. Flynn thought of his dream, and what the captain had hissed in his ear earlier. He'd let her go…just let her go…

What the heck he was going to do now? Should he go back and tell the King and Queen? Or should he just…end it now? Going to tell the royal family was the responsible thing to do, but Flynn just couldn't handle having to break such terrible news to those already grieving parents. And if he tried to tell them about the Captain's scheme, no way they would believe a former thief over their most trusted official. Flynn sighed. Maybe it would just be better if he disappeared forever.

Either way, both solutions would spell doom for him.

But one thing he would _not_ do—he would not give those guards the satisfaction of hunting him down. That was one goal that the Captain was _not_ going to accomplish in his plan.

Pascal sort of squeaked inside Flynn's pocket, and then poked his little nose out and looked up at Flynn sadly.

"She's gone, buddy," Flynn whispered. "Just…gone."

And Flynn couldn't help, once again, thinking that it was all his fault.

_If I had just returned her to the castle and then left her life for good, _he thought, beating himself up inside,_ she'd still be safe, in her castle right now, and that gorgeous smile would still be on her face. _It'd be a big price to pay, never seeing her again. But he'd give anything…_anything_…to have her safe again.

His thoughts still on Rapunzel, Flynn once again mounted Maximus, allowing the horse to lead him just…_wherever_. It didn't matter anymore.

Flynn, Pascal, and Maximus all journeyed along at a slow and miserable pace, especially Flynn, who had once again allowed the tears to flow down his cheeks once again.

_You were my new dream, Blondie,_ Flynn spoke in his mind. _Forever and always. And nothing will ever change that. No matter what happens…you'll always be mine._

Suddenly, Maximus jerked to a halt, and abruptly changed course, charging through the trees to where Flynn had to grip onto the stallion's reins to keep from flying off.

"Max, what—" Flynn said, confused. "What—What are you doing?"

Maximus showed no signs of giving him an answer; instead, he just kept racing through the forest, and all Flynn could do was hope for the best.

Suddenly, Flynn saw something come into view that made his stomach lurch. There, right ahead of them, was the shimmering blue river, though in all of its beauty it made Flynn overcome by anger and pain.

"She's not here, Max," Flynn told the horse, aggravated by the fact that he had to face this once again. Already, he could feel the hot tears threatening to fall. Still, Maximus paid no heed to his words, and continued on, turning and trotting along the riverbank.

"Max," Flynn said, a bit sterner, "I'm telling you, she's gone. Rapunzel's not here!"

Still, the horse went on, paying no attention to his master's objections.

Finally, overwhelmed by emotion, Flynn couldn't handle it any more. He jerked on the white stallion's reins as hard as he could, forcing Maximus to stop in his tracks, no matter how hard he tried to journey on.

"She's _gone!_" Flynn yelled, his heart breaking with every word of reality he spoke. "We can't find her. It's…It's over. She's gone. Rapunzel's gone!"

Putting his head in his hands, Flynn tried to calm himself, but to no avail. Why? Why was this happening? Why now? Why to her?

In fact, Flynn, swallowed by a drowning wave of depression, took a while to notice that Maximus was motioning to something across the river with his head, neighing even louder each time to get Flynn's attention. Finally, Flynn raised his head, squinting through his teary eyes to see what the heck his horse wanted to show him so badly.

Suddenly, he saw it.

Across the river was a figure, collapsed on the ground, wearing a lavender nightgown covered in mud and a few rips. Her wrists were covered in rope burns, result of a small rope that lay unwound beside her. Another rope bound her ankles, right over her bare feet.

What gave her away was her brown, pixie-cut hair, though tangled and matted, revealed her true identity to Flynn.

He couldn't believe it—he was just speechless. He felt like pinching himself to feel he wasn't dreaming, but the hot sting of his tears in his eyes proved that he was in reality. For the girl, lying, abandoned just across the river…

…was none other than Rapunzel herself.

* * *

** -) More on the way!**


	8. In Hiding

**Chapter 8 is UP!**

**Is it just me, or are my chapters getting worse as I go along? I hope not! Please tell me they're not! (Unless you're lying of course...which would be bad)**

**Oh my gosh, I have been called many things concerning my suspenseful endings, but I can't help it! That's just the way I write! I'm not insulted, though. I want people to want to keep reading! :-)**

**BTW, that weirdo -) or whatever thing at the end of Chapter 7 was actually a winking face, but the document uploader cut it off. (FOR REASONS I KNOW NOT!)**

**Anyway...**

**I DON'T OWN TANGLED! *Hits self in head with frying pan***

* * *

"Rapunzel!" Flynn gasped, immediately wading through the river, though the icy cold water lapped at him as he went through. He didn't care.

He had to reach her.

It almost felt like a dream…like if he didn't reach her now, she would disappear…

But he did reach her. Immediately, Flynn's heart soared to new heights as he saw the faint rise and fall of Rapunzel's chest with every breath she took. Her eyes were closed, and she was unconscious, but she was alive…Alive! And as he stared at his true love, though her appearance disordered and chaotic, Flynn thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Oh, my gosh…" Flynn whispered, tears of joy replacing his tears of pain. "Blondie…it really is you…"

The sight left him breathtaken. Somehow, Rapunzel had escaped. She had freed herself—and now she was here. With him. _Alive_.

But then, Flynn remembered what the Captain had said—_he_ had no clue that Rapunzel was still alive.

And if he found out, Flynn could only imagine the danger that they'd be in.

Flynn needed to take Rapunzel far away, back to the castle where she'd be safe, but he couldn't do that with her in this condition. Flynn was no expert in first aid—being a crook, he just learned to deal with the cuts and bruises that came along with it. But how would he revive Rapunzel?

Flynn did the only thing he could think of. Tearing off a piece of cloth from his sleeve, he dunked it in the water, and then wrung it out enough so there were just a few drops of water left. Using that, he let the remaining drops of water sprinkle softly onto Rapunzel's face, careful not to drench her in the cold water.

"Come on, Blondie…wake up…" Flynn pleaded under his breath. "I need you to get up…I need to see those eyes…"

Flynn tried the cloth one more time, but he didn't get any reply from Rapunzel. At one point, he thought that she moaned, but that might have been his imagination.

Suddenly, another sound—one that sent chills down Flynn's spine—sounded from just through the trees.

"Hurry, men! I think we've found him!"

It was the Captain.

"Oh, no," Flynn muttered under his breath. "Oh, gosh, no. Well, this is convenient." This was the last thing he needed. He looked down at Rapunzel, who still hadn't recovered, and then back into the forest growth, where he could hear the incoming guards and see the rustling of the leaves as they neared the group. Maximus looked back at the rustling foliage and snorted, and Flynn saw Pascal tuck himself deeper inside his pocket and once again change to the teal blue color of his vest.

They would all be doomed if they didn't do something _now_.

There was no way Flynn could get across the river with Rapunzel in his arms; it was too deep. No, he needed Maximus to get over there, where he was. And he needed it done fast.

"Max!" Flynn called to the horse, who immediately snapped his focused gaze towards his master. "Over here!"

Maximus immediately obeyed, and backed up a few feet in preparation. At first, Flynn thought he was just going to swim through the wide river, but no, Max was too determined for that. Instead, the horse sped forward, and then took a flying leap in the air, landing solidly next to Rapunzel and Flynn. Even self-confident Flynn was impressed.

"Rider!" Flynn could hear the shouts of the Captain and his men getting closer, and the thundering of their horses' hooves. They had no time to waste whatsoever.

Flynn gently picked up Rapunzel in his arms, careful to cradle her in a way that would not injure her further. It was difficult, but Flynn was able to position himself so he could leap on top of Maximus, and by then, Flynn could see the red plume of the captain's helmet through the trees. He could swear he spotted his angered face, and his gleaming sword, just slicing its way through the branches of the trees.

"Go! Go now!" Flynn ordered his horse, and Maximus began tearing through the grass, dodging branches and leaping over bushes in order to make a quick escape.

As Flynn held onto Rapunzel with one arm, and Max's reins with the other, his first priority was keeping Rapunzel safe. It was a miracle that he had found her, especially since she was still alive, but Flynn didn't want to be responsible for _anything_ to happen to her. But then he realized something.

Where on earth were they going?

Flynn thought of riding back to the castle, but then he realized that that would be nearly impossible, seeing as the guards were already in pursuit of them, blocking the direction of the kingdom. Desperate for a safe place to keep Rapunzel, he racked his brain for every hiding place he'd discovered over all his years of thieving. But then he realized, the guards had eventually stumbled upon pretty much every one of them, so chances of finding somewhere they'd never search was slim.

Then, Flynn recalled a place; a place so vile and desolate to him, he hadn't even classified it as one of his hiding places, though it very well was. A place where he had found his greatest joy, and also his worst nightmare. Granted, he had patrolled around it, but hiding inside…that would bring back so many memories…but the guards would never find them there, and that was what was most important. Because, after all, that was one place that no one had ever found.

No one had found Rapunzel's tower of course, except for Flynn.

O-O-O-O-O

"Here we are, Blondie…" Flynn sighed, opening the door to Rapunzel's old tower confinement. "I bet you never thought you'd see this place again."

And it was amazing; this place had been untouched ever since Flynn and Rapunzel had left. Her breathtaking mural still covered the whole entire wall, her books—those three books that she had been restricted to all her life—were still lined neatly on her small bookshelf, though now they were covered in dust. And her hair…oh, gosh, Rapunzel's hair...nearly seventy feet of it still ran across the floor like a snake, and among it, the shattered glass of the mirror, including the one shard that Flynn had used to free her forever.

Max had been able to find an opening covered up by ivy at the bottom, thank goodness, so Flynn was able to get Rapunzel in safely without making another epic climb. Meanwhile, the horse stood guard outside the tower in case anyone dared venture around it.

Meanwhile, back inside, Flynn had untied Rapunzel's ankles and laid her back on her old bed. He stared at her as she lay there, her eyes closed, her breaths shallow but still there. She could have been sleeping, if it wasn't for her disheveled appearance.

"Oh, Rapunzel," Flynn sighed, pulling the covers over his angelic princess. "If only I could see you smile…if only I could see those laughing green eyes…if only I could tell you—"

Suddenly, a stir in Rapunzel made Flynn stop right in the middle of his sentence, and he watched eagerly as Rapunzel's eyes slowly fluttered open, and then gazed at him in amazement.

"Eugene?" she asked weakly. Flynn thought her voice was the most beautiful sound in the world.

"Yeah, Blondie," he smiled, stroking her short brown hair. "It's me."

Rapunzel slowly sat up, rubbing an ache in her head. Suddenly, she caught view of the old, familiar room, and her eyes widened in shock and awe.

"Wait—Why—" she looked anxiously at Flynn. "Why are we back—"

"It's alright," Flynn assured her. "We just needed a good place to hide. The bad guys are after us…again. We seem to be like a magnet for trouble, huh?"

Rapunzel's eyes grew even wider. "They—they found you?" Rapunzel didn't even need to ask who the bad guys were. Then, her gaze grew confused. "How…How did you find _me_?"

So Flynn explained, and Rapunzel listened in breathless silence as Flynn told her his story, everything from his sentencing to his discovery that she was still alive, though he _did_ leave out both dreams. No need worrying her about something that was never going to happen.

When Flynn finished, Rapunzel's eyes were full of tears.

"They sentenced you…to death?"

"The Captain influenced it," Flynn quickly added. He didn't want to paint a bad image of her parents in her mind.

"So we have to get you back!" Rapunzel declared. Immediately, she pulled back the covers and began getting out of bed.

"Woah, woah, hey, slow down," Flynn advised, grasping her arm and stopping her before she could go any further. "You have to stay here—you're still hurt."

"But, you only have two more days!" Rapunzel pointed out. She then wrapped her arms around Flynn and let the tears fall. "I can't let you die."

Rapunzel's embrace was both warm and heartbreaking, and Flynn couldn't help but hold her tighter, fearful that this would be the last moment they shared together, because it seemed as if she could be stolen from him at any time.

"You won't," Flynn reassured her. "But we'll go back when it's safe."

Reluctantly, Rapunzel nodded and got back into the bed, though she still looked upset.

Flynn gently touched the rope burns on one of her wrists, and Rapunzel drew back in pain with a hiss.

"Uh, ow?" she laughed. "What was that for?"

"How did you escape?" Flynn asked seriously. "What did they do to you?"

Rapunzel took a deep breath and gazed off at nothing, and began telling _her_ story. Flynn could tell it troubled her, the memories of the kidnapping, but Flynn had to know what happened.

"…So they tied up my wrists and my ankles, and threw me in the river," Rapunzel finished, tears once again brimming her eyes. "The rope around my wrists was loose enough that I was finally able to escape, but I practically had to claw myself up out of the river onto the bank. By the time I got up there, I tried to untie my ankles, but the rope was too tight. I was too weak, and I just…" she sighed and closed her eyes. "I just gave up."

Flynn shook his head in amazement. This did not sound like the optimistic girl that he knew.

"During that storm last night, I think something hit me in the head, and I just blacked out. But I think it was better that way anyway. I thought…" a tear slid down her cheek, "…I thought nobody cared enough to come look for me."

Rapunzel's story broke Flynn's heart, and he tenderly put his hand upon hers. Never, in a million years, would he _ever_ abandon this girl in a situation like that. His love for her was so strong, Flynn knew that if he knew she was out there still, he would keep looking, and looking, and never cease. He remembered his promise to the King and Queen. _"I _will _find her."_ And he did.

"Rapunzel," Flynn gazed into her jade green eyes. "Don't you _ever_, _ever_, believe that. As long as there's a breath within me, then…I won't stop looking. If I know that you're still out there, and you're still waiting for someone to save you, then I _will_ be the one to save you. Don't you ever forget that." Pangs of guilt hit him as he remembered reprimanding Maximus for searching for a lost hope, but then he remembered his perseverance even under all the restraint of guards and those out to get him. And he had succeeded.

Rapunzel nodded. "I won't."

Suddenly, a thought hit Flynn. "Wait, are you meaning to tell me that you haven't eaten anything for almost _two days_?"

Rapunzel thought a bit, and then she nodded. "Come to think of it, yes!"

And the more that Flynn thought about it, he realized he hadn't eaten anything for quite a while either. He thought about the pack that sat upon Maximus with all their food. Sure, stale bread and a few nuts and berries weren't exactly a gourmet meal, but this girl needed nutrition!

"Hold on," Flynn rose to his feet. "I'll be right back."

Rapunzel smiled back at him. Though it was a lot weaker than her usual smile, _this_ is what Flynn had been waiting for. It was so nice to know that he would be able to see that smile once again, and for a moment, he didn't want to leave. But it was alright—he'd be gone only for a minute. But after all that had gone on, a minute felt like a million years away from Rapunzel.

Flynn forced himself to walk over to the trapdoor that led downstairs, and he descended the brick staircase, his thoughts full of his one true love. Not horrible thoughts, like he had had pasted in his mind only hours ago, but beautiful ones; of her laughter, and dancing…once they returned back to the tower, things would be wonderful once again.

Finally, Flynn reached Gothel's room on the bottom floor, and heaved open the old door that led him outside. He chuckled as he saw Maximus, still faithfully stationed at his post.

"Easy, boy," Flynn reassured, walking over to the horse and running a hand on its flank. He then flipped open the pack fastened to Max's saddle and dug through it, pulling out actually more acceptable food than he realized was in there. "Relax. I think the worst is behind us."

"I'll get rid of Rider one way or another—if it's the last thing I do!"

Flynn jerked up as he heard the Captain's voice boom through the forest, closer than he had imagined.

"I stand corrected," he muttered.

Quickly searching through the pack, he looked for anything else he could snatch up. He felt they'd be there for a while.

He grabbed the frying pan.

Just in case.


	9. Goodbyes

**Hey! Sorry this took longer than usual to update. I hope I didn't upset anyone! *Stares into enraged red eyes of subscribers* Oh, man.**

**But anyway, here's Chapter 9. I figure there'll be about 12 Chapters, or _maybe_ (big maybe) 13.**

**Either way, hope you enjoy this one! Thanks for all the great reviews!**

**I have dreams of owning Tangled...**

**I also have dreams of being a superhero spider monkey.**

**Either way, neither of those are going to happen.**

**

* * *

**

"Rapunzel!" Flynn yelled out, bursting through the door of her room. "They're just outside. I heard them getting closer."

Rapunzel gasped and leapt out of the bed, running over to Flynn. "What if they find the tower? What do we do? We have to get you out of here!"

Flynn sighed and held Rapunzel's hands in his own. What he was about to say wouldn't be easy—in fact, it'd be one of the most difficult choices of his life. But if Rapunzel could be safe…

…Nothing else mattered.

"No," he said quietly. "You have to stay. I'll leave. Once they get rid of me, they'll think we're both out of the way. You have a free run back to the castle, and then you can—"

"No!" Rapunzel shook her head, gripping his hands tighter. "No! I'm not leaving you! Eugene—"

"Rapunzel…" Flynn ran his hand through her short brown hair, and savored the moment with her, pretty sure that it would be one of his last. "I would give _anything_ for us to be out of this situation, but I can't change what's happened. What I _can_ change is if you get home safely or not. And I'm going to make sure that happens. I couldn't imagine living…knowing that you weren't safe. Over the past day it's driven me insane knowing that, and…" he sighed, thinking of the ultimate sacrifice he was making, but he knew that it was worth it. "…I love you too much to put you at risk."

"Oh…Eugene," Rapunzel said breathlessly, shutting her eyes tight. "I couldn't imagine life without you either…It almost happened once…I can't…I can't do that again—"

Flynn gently pushed her chin up so he could gaze into her beautiful green eyes, now brimmed with tears.

"You won't have to," he said with a tender smile. "No matter what happens, you'll always be my new dream."

Rapunzel nodded, wiping a tear from her eye.

"And you'll always be mine."

Suddenly, Pascal wriggled out of Flynn's pocket once again, staring happily at Rapunzel.

She let out a glad gasp. "Pascal!"

"I thought you'd like to see the frog—chameleon—agh!" Flynn chuckled. "I can never get that right."

Pascal scurried up Flynn's arm and across his onto the girl's. Rapunzel giggled as the little green creature climbed up to her shoulder and rubbed against her face, his scaly skin against her pure pink cheeks.

All Flynn could do was smile.

Just then, Pascal held up his finger to signify "wait a minute," and then scurried back towards Flynn, tucking himself inside his vest and scuttling all around, to the point where it tickled Flynn so much, he jerked and twitched with the most hilarious expression on his face. Both Rapunzel and Flynn had to laugh.

"What is he doing?" Rapunzel asked curiously.

"I—don't know—" Flynn laughed between twitches. "But it's really—creeping—me out!"

Suddenly, Pascal peeked up through the collar of Flynn's vest, staring up with a smile into Flynn's confused eyes. Flynn had no clue what was going on until he saw the little square box in the chameleon's hands.

It was the ring.

Flynn had completely forgotten…and now, when he probably never would see her again…there was no doubt about it.

Now was the time.

With a nod of thanks to Pascal, he plucked the case from the green creature's hand as he scurried out of Flynn's vest with a thumbs up.

Rapunzel watched, astonished, as Flynn slowly dropped on one knee, and then presented the ring to her, as she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"I have tried…and tried again…tried a thousand times to plan this out," Flynn told her sincerely. "But, then I realized, all I was saying was the same old thing every single time. I…I love you, Blondie. And I want you to know, that when I'm long gone…I just want you to know that I always _did_ love you…ever since the day I found you in that tower. You make me feel…indescribable. Because you _are_ indescribable. Indescribably wonderful. And I only hope…that someone as amazing as you…could love someone like me."

Rapunzel was speechless, and at first Flynn was scared that he had done something wrong. But all his fears melted away as Rapunzel nodded, the tears of joy finally cascading down her cheeks.

"I do," she choked, "I _do_ love you, Eugene. No matter what happens." She picked up the ring and slipped it on her finger, breathtaken. "Oh…Eugene…"

Then without any warning, Rapunzel threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around Eugene's neck and giving him a big kiss. Flynn, surprised at first, soon returned the gesture, caressing her face, wondering if he would ever have a moment like this again.

Probably not.

As Rapunzel drew back, Pascal flashed Flynn a smile and raised his eyebrows.

Flynn responded with a playful flick on the chameleon's nose.

Suddenly, the fond moment was interrupted by the urgent neighing of Maximus, and Flynn stumbled to his feet and raced over to the window, looking down at the scene below. He saw the white horse, rearing on his hind legs. He couldn't see the Captain and his team, but they must be nearby. Maximus was never wrong. Pascal hopped off of Flynn and scurried over to Rapunzel, racing up to her shoulder.

"Are they coming?" Rapunzel asked anxiously, though she pretty much already knew the answer.

Flynn nodded. The time had come.

"I…I have to go." Flynn said sadly. He gazed into his love's troubled green eyes, which were filled with pure joy just a second ago. It broke Flynn's heart to know it broke _her_ heart, but this was the way it had to be, if she was to be safe. He just had one more thing he needed to hear.

"I need you to promise me something," Flynn took in a deep breath.

"Anything," Rapunzel nodded.

"Don't ever forget me," Flynn sighed, taking Rapunzel's hands into his own once again. He gazed into her beautiful green eyes, which were once again brimming with tears. "But, Rapunzel…I need you to move on. When I'm gone, I want you to…find someone new. To fall in love again. I want you to go out there, and meet someone else. Start a family. I want you…to be happy. Can you promise me that?"

The tears once again rolled down Rapunzel's cheeks. This was really happening. "I…I…" she took in a deep breath, and her last words came out as a mere whisper. "I…can't."

She then threw herself onto Flynn, burying her face in his shoulder, her body shaking with sobs. "I can't—Eugene…oh, please, don't leave me! I can't…I can't…"

"Rapunzel…" Flynn stroked his love's hair, and tried to comfort her, but it was no use.

"Don't leave me, Eugene…I need you…Stay with me…don't go! Please…"

There was nothing Flynn could say. He just held Rapunzel tight, fighting the urge to cry himself. But he couldn't cry. He had to be strong—for her. He knew, even though he'd be gone, everything would eventually be all right. Time would heal Rapunzel's wounds, and she'd be happy. And though that broke Flynn's heart, he needed to know that. She needed to be ok.

"I love you, Blondie," Flynn whispered in her ear. "Don't you forget that."

Rapunzel looked up at him, her eyes puffy and red from all her tears.

"How could I forget," she choked, "the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me?"

Now Flynn was the one who had to cry. A stray tear fell from his eye, and he quickly wiped it away.

"Goodbye, Rapunzel," he whispered. He knew now was the time. It couldn't be avoided.

He had to go.

He held that beautiful girl's hand one more time, and then watched, brokenhearted, as it slipped away for the very last time.

Rapunzel stood, eyes stuck on Flynn, as he slowly walked across the room, and then kneeled down to pull up the trapdoor that led down to the bottom of the tower.

"I love you," Rapunzel said, tears streaming down her face.

"I love you more," Flynn told her, taking in the last view he would ever see of his precious Rapunzel.

"I love you most."

Finally, Flynn mustered up every ounce of strength he had, and pulled open the trapdoor to leave.

But instead of stairs, a terrifying sight met him.

For as he pulled up the wooden board, he found himself face-to-face with a gleaming sword.

And grasping on to that gleaming sword, was none other the Captain of the Guard himself.


	10. Trust Me

**Hey, everyone! Oh, my gosh. I just got two great ideas for some Tangled one-shots but I'm gonna hold off best I can until this one is finished (which it just about is-two more chapters to go). But anyway, Chapter 10 is up! **

**I got so many great reviews about Chapter 9! Wow, just thank you all! I love reviews, and every single one of you guys' reviews is looked at and appreciated. Wow...just, wow. I had no idea this would turn out this well. Thanks a bunch!**

**So, anyway, on with Chapter 10, for all you suspense-gripped people that are earnestly waiting for me to stop yapping. Well, I won't ever stop...ever...ever...ever...ok, I'm done.**

**Happy Valentine's Day!**

**No matter how many Mickey Mouse shaped chocolates I send Disney, they _still_ won't let me buy Tangled from them! So, I still don't own it. Maybe I should try flowers shaped like Donald Duck...**

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Before Flynn could react, the Captain shoved him back and he slid across the floor, and all Flynn could do was watch as the Captain emerged from the trapdoor like something from some kind of nightmare.

"Well, well, well…" he grinned, running his finger up the side of his sword. "Isn't this getting a little tiresome, Rider?"

"Yes, seeing you is getting _very_ tiresome," Flynn said, not missing a beat.

The Captain scowled at Flynn's sarcastic remark. "Scoff all you want, Rider," he held the sword close to Flynn's neck. "You won't be laughing for long."

"No!"

The Captain's head flew in the direction of the terrified gasp, and Flynn shut his eyes tight. No…she was supposed to stay quiet…He wasn't supposed to find her! This was all wrong!

The Captain stared at Rapunzel as if he was seeing a ghost. Maybe he thought that he was.

"Princess?" he said, breathless, "But—But you're—You—"

"—are very much alive." Rapunzel announced firmly. "Now, get away from him!"

The Captain looked down at Flynn, who glared up at the Captain furiously. After a tense moment of silence, the Captain finally chuckled and moved his sword away from Flynn, his eyes now locked on Rapunzel.

"Of course," he did a small bow, "your _highness_." He spat out the word sarcastically.

As Flynn rose to his feet, he watched uneasily as the Captain moved towards Rapunzel. No way he could have just changed his mind that fast. Something was up, and Flynn didn't like it.

"But, if I may," the Captain continued, nearing the princess. "I have a request for you as well, Princess…"

Suddenly, the Captain grabbed Rapunzel's arm and whirled her around, positioning his sword up against her throat. Pascal flew off her shoulder and on to the floor, where he could only watch helplessly as his loving owner was held hostage by that villainous man.

"…Stand still so we can get this over with."

"Take your hands off her!" Flynn ordered, rushing over to save his beloved princess.

"Hold it, Rider!" the Captain barked, gripping the sword even tighter. "I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

Flynn immediately froze, his heart pounding. Only a few feet away, his beloved Rapunzel was an inch away from death. It was his dream all over again—

—except this was reality.

Flynn's memory flashed back to his horrible nightmare, but this time, the Captain was in place of Gothel. He was just as bad—if not worse—and Flynn knew he had to do something, quick.

"Let her go," he commanded. "Forget about her! I'm the one you want!"

"True," the Captain mused, not taking his evil glare off of Flynn. "But still, what guarantee do I have that Little Miss _Chatterbox_ here won't spill the truth about you once she gets back to the palace?"

"I'll make her promise not to tell," Flynn answered, looking into his love's frightened eyes. "And she never, _ever,_ breaks a promise."

"I've got a better idea," the Captain grinned maliciously. "How about I get rid of her now, and make sure you have a front row seat? Then after I finish her off, you'll be next. That way, everyone wins…" he gripped the sword tighter, staring evilly at the terrified girl he was threatening. "…Or, at least _I_ do…"

"No!" Flynn yelled, throwing himself forward and knocking Rapunzel to the ground, just as the Captain viciously swiped the air where the princess would have been. The two tumbled to the ground, and Flynn slammed against the wall, Rapunzel in his arms. The Captain looked around furiously, and then spotted Flynn helping Rapunzel to her feet.

"Go, now!" Flynn yelled, but before he could see if Rapunzel got away safely, a harsh thud came against him, knocking him to the ground once again. Before he could respond, a huge boot slammed against his chest, and he looked up to see the Captain glaring down at him, fire in his eyes.

"It's over, Rider," he growled. "There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. You lost."

Flynn struggled and tried to get away, but the Captain's hold was strong, and all he could do was watch helplessly as the villainous official raised his sword, ready to plunge it into his captured hero.

"And don't worry…" he sneered, "…I'll take good care of the princess…"

"Over my dead body!" Flynn yelled out, glaring at the Captain with such ferocity that even _Flynn _himself was surprised of the surging anger flooding through his body.

"That can be arranged," the Captain rumbled, raising the sword even higher.

Then, in an instant, Flynn saw the blade flying down, and he shut his eyes, waiting for the pain—waiting for the end…

CLANG!

Flynn opened his eyes at the unexpected noise and saw the Captain's face in a twisted, frozen look. Flynn watched, surprised, as the Captain tumbled to the side, unconscious, the sword clattering out of his hand onto the ground. Behind him stood Rapunzel, breathing heavily, Flynn's frying pan in hand.

Both Flynn and Rapunzel stared, astonished, at the fallen Captain on the ground, until finally, Flynn broke the silence.

"When this is over," Flynn said, breathless, "I have _got_ to get myself one of those."

Rapunzel chuckled nervously and then helped Flynn to his feet, as Pascal scurried over to the Captain, poking his closed eyelid to make sure he was down for the count.

"Thanks, Blondie," Flynn said, embracing her in a hug. "Without you, I'd be a human shish-kebob for sure."

"You scared me to death," Rapunzel hugged him tighter. "I couldn't let him take you."

"Same with you," Flynn sighed. "Did you think I was gonna just stand there and do nothing?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "No. Of course not."

"Good."

Rapunzel looked down uneasily at the Captain, and then back up to Flynn.

"Now, let's get out of here before he wakes up."

"Works for me," Flynn said, leaning down so Pascal could scurry up his arm.

But as Flynn stepped foot on the trapdoor, a shout from below gave him a jolt. From there came more shouts, until he could hear whole clamor of men from below. Their voices were getting louder—it was the rest of the guards, and they were coming right up the staircase.

Right for them.

"Rapunzel, the bookcase!" Flynn commanded, and immediately, Rapunzel obeyed, sliding the heavy bookcase over to where Flynn was standing. In an instant, Flynn had it turned over so it blocked the opening, and just in the nick of time, too, as a bang came from the trapdoor and the shouting commenced right below their feet.

"Max must not have been able to fight them all off," Flynn observed, "and that bookcase won't hold them for long. We have to get out of here, _now_."

"But how?" Rapunzel asked, frying pan gripped in her hand anxiously.

"We can't fight them all off ourselves…" Flynn said, his thoughts racing. "We're going to have to escape from the tower."

"But _how_?" Rapunzel asked again.

Flynn's eyes scanned the perimeter, urgently searching for any means of escape. Then, he spotted the open window, and immediately rushed over to it.

Rapunzel could tell exactly what he was thinking. "Eugene, we can't—"

"It's the only way," Flynn pointed out, though the towering drop down even made _his_ stomach lurch. The perilous way down seemed never-ending, but Flynn knew that there was a safe way to get back to earth.

There _had_ to be.

Suddenly, Flynn caught sight of the pulley, in which Rapunzel had used in her days in the tower to pull up Gothel with her seventy feet of hair. However, Rapunzel now possessed hair that was about ten inches long, which would get them nowhere. What the heck were they going to do?

As Flynn stepped backwards to try to look for another way out, his foot snagged on something, and he looked down to see what it was.

It was the answer to their problem.

For there, strung over Flynn's boot, was the results of Flynn's freeing of Rapunzel months ago. There, strewn on the ground, was seventy feet of brown hair, which had once adorned Rapunzel's head, as a golden blonde, but now, would be their ticket out of that tower.

He immediately picked up the hair and began stringing it through the pulley, watching as it traveled down…down…stories below them. Rapunzel, seeing what he was doing, immediately began to help, grouping together all of the brown locks of hair and carrying them over to where they would be accessible to Flynn. Even Pascal helped, by hopping off of Flynn's shoulder and closely guarding the Captain, who still lay on the ground, unconscious.

The banging and shouting grew even more violent, and Flynn thought he saw the bookcase shift out of the corner of his eye. They were running out of time.

Finally, Flynn roped through enough hair to touch the ground, just enough for them to descend down safely. But _would_ it be safe, really? Of course the method had worked with Rapunzel because there was someone on the other end. But now…

Flynn tied the hair tightly to the pulley with a firm yank and hoped for the best. That's all he could do.

Ever since Flynn had become a thief, he had to learn to take risks. There'd be a risk that the person whose house he was robbing would return home during his heist. There was a risk that he'd slip up during his escape and end up with two broken legs and a noose around his neck. Heck, there'd been a risk when they hid there in the tower, and even though they took it, it proved to have dire consequences. But never had Flynn weighed his chances like this. They could either jump, and have a fifty/fifty chance of surviving the plunge, seeing that Flynn's plan worked as it should. Or they could stay, and face the guards, which outnumbered them so much that the chances of both Rapunzel and Flynn escaping looked grim.

They had to jump.

Flynn climbed up onto the edge of the window, his boots peeking over the windowsill. For one of the first times in his life, he was scared to death about an escape. But not just for him…

…for Rapunzel, too.

If anything went wrong, not only would it spell the end for him, but his love as well. But they had just an equal—no, scratch that—much less of a chance of survival if they stayed. They were just going to have to take the plunge.

"Come on, Blondie," Flynn held out his hand to the anxious Rapunzel. "We have to go, now."

Rapunzel nervously walked over to the window and peered out, her face going pale.

"Eugene, I—"

"Don't look down," Flynn told her, gazing reassuringly into her eyes. "Just trust me."

Rapunzel bit her lip and looked away.

"Rapunzel…" Flynn said, as loving as ever. "Do you trust me?"

As Rapunzel looked back at Flynn, he realized how stupid the nature of his question had been. Anyone else would have their mind stuck in the past, views fixed on Flynn's days of deception and lies, and immediately, they would say no. But this girl…this beautiful, _beautiful_ girl…saw something different in him. She saw who he really was, and what he really meant in his heart. She saw the new side of him, which sincerely pledged every word that he spoke.

And she trusted him.

She nodded and grabbed his hand, lowering her other one so Pascal could scurry up to her shoulder. When the little chameleon saw the huge drop, he let out a little squeak of terror, but then he shook his head and puffed out his chest to look unafraid.

Flynn wrapped one arm around Rapunzel's waist as she climbed up, and she clutched onto him with both hands, her eyes wide and face burrowed in his vest. There, she felt safe. There, she felt comforted. There, she felt perfectly fine.

And Flynn loved that.

Taking one more deep breath, Flynn heard the bookcase shove away and the trapdoor fly open, as he held Rapunzel tightly, grasped the rope of hair, and jumped.

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**More soon!**


	11. Home

**Wow, I can't believe we're on Chapter 11 already! That's just...wow. How long has it been since I've started this? Ah, oh well. What really matters is all you people thinking "Man, just finish it already!" will finally get your wish. Just one more chapter to go after this! But don't just skip this one to get to the last chapter, or then _I'll _have to hit you with a frying pan.**

**I own nothing, nothing, NOTHING!**

**I want something, something, SOMETHING!**

**It's amazing, 'mazing, 'MAZING!**

**How-**

**Oh, for crying out loud, I don't own Tangled. :-(**

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All three of them, Flynn, Rapunzel, and Pascal, couldn't help but scream as they plummeted down, just out of reach of the guards. Flynn gripped Rapunzel tightly, never wanting to let go, listening for the clacking of the pulley to reassure them that they still had hold as they neared the hard ground. For a moment, a fearful thought flashed through Flynn's mind that the guards could just sever the hair on their way down, but that fear was replaced with a sigh of relief as they finally touched the bottom. He couldn't believe it. It worked! They had made it!

Maximus, who was just fighting off a few other guards who remained outside, quickly turned and raced over to the three of them, wasting no time in scooping them up and galloping away. Rapunzel still gripped Flynn tightly as they rode away on the horse, but now, instead of fear, a joyous expression was painted on her face, and she threw her head back and laughed.

That was what Flynn needed to hear.

That amazing laughter urged him on, a smile spreading across his face as he encouraged Maximus to go faster. Flynn recalled when he had last been on the horse with her—the poor girl was unconscious, hurt, barely alive…and now, she was happy as ever, laughing at the fact that they were free.

They were free.

They were _free_.

O-O-O-O-O

It had been nighttime when they had left the tower, and as they neared the castle, the sun was once again rising over the horizon. Rapunzel had fallen asleep, her delicate arms wrapped around Flynn's neck as he rode through the kingdom. He held her tight in front of him with one arm and onto Max's reins with the other. Rapunzel's flawless figure rose and fell with every breath she took, and curled up into Flynn's waist, obviously feeling safe and secure. Flynn smiled down at her every so often, his grateful eyes taking in her wonder.

It felt so good to have her in his arms once again.

The closer Flynn got to the castle, the more he thought about this: It was his third day since setting out to find Rapunzel, and now, here she was, safe with him, ready to be bought back to the place where she truly belonged.

Home.

It must have been rather unusual, the early risers looking out their front windows to see a former thief riding in with the slumbering princess. Though Flynn knew it looked suspicious, nobody came out, or reacted, or did anything to call any more attention to him. They knew the princess had been missing, but perhaps they knew of Flynn's undying love for her as well.

That was what really mattered.

Flynn could spot the lights illuminating the royal castle from a short distance, and Flynn knew it was time to wake up Rapunzel so she could happily greet her mother and father.

"Rapunzel," he said softly, shaking her gently. "Rapunzel, come on, Blondie, wake up…"

Rapunzel didn't open her eyes; instead, she let out a soft mumble.

"Sing…"

Her reply was completely unexpected. Flynn had either heard wrong, or the girl was dreaming. Yes, that must be it.

He tried again, just as soothingly. "Come on, Blondie, seriously…we're almost there."

Rapunzel scrunched up her face, and this time, flicked up her hand to bat at his face. "Eugene…" she murmured again, "…sing…"

Now Flynn knew she was talking about him. Eugene Fitzherbert, sing? What planet was she on? He did _not_ sing. At least not in public, anyway. And there were enough early birds walking the streets for this to be considered "public".

But still, it was at Rapunzel's request. And whatever she asked meant the world to him. If she wanted something from Flynn, she was going to get it.

And if it was a song she wanted, she'd get a song.

Flynn racked his brain for something to serenade his love with, and then something hit him that spread a smile across his face. He had sung this once, quite reluctantly, he might add, in the middle of a pub surrounded by thugs. Perfect conditions, right? But back then his dreams had been full of stacks of cash and his own personal paradise island. But now, Flynn's dreams were of her…Rapunzel…her being with him forever. His dreams were no longer of money, or riches.

Rapunzel was worth more than all the money in the world.

And so, he began to sing, altering the words just right so they fit his new dream: Rapunzel.

"_I've had dreams of owning islands,_

_And heists that led to violence,_

_But never did I think I'd be like this…_

_With my true love in my arms_

_As I keep her safe from harm_

_Ever since that beautiful first kiss…_

_I have a dream,_

_I have a dream,_

_And though it might seem strange coming from me..._

_I'll forever love this girl,_

_Because, man, she is my world,_

_Rapunzel, you're my one and only dream…"_

And as Flynn sang, he saw a smile peek through Rapunzel's lips, and he softly continued to serenade his love. This was worth everything, no matter how many songs he had to sing.

"_I have a dream,_

_I have a dream…"_

Flynn stroked her hair, and Pascal shot him a knowing smile, as Rapunzel curled up even closer to him. Flynn looked out on the street. A few people were eyeing him, but he didn't care anymore. If Rapunzel heard it, that was the important part.

_"…and though it might seem strange coming from me…"_

And as Maximus came to a halt in front of the huge castle, Flynn thought of all Rapunzel and he had been through over the past few days. Heck, that had been enough adventure to last a lifetime, for anyone.

"…_I'll forever love this girl,_

_Because, man, she is my world…"_

But looking down at the beautiful young woman he held in his arms, he was amazed at how lucky he had been. Someone as wonderful as her loved someone as, well, Eugene Fitzherbert-ish as him.

And Flynn watched as the drawbridge came down, revealing the huge towering entrance to the castle. The King and Queen had been awaiting him, and he had been successful. He had their daughter, and now he could bring her back, where she could be safe, and comforted and happy once again. Because if she could be happy…then Flynn definitely was happy.

_"Rapunzel, you're my one and only dream…"_

O-O-O-O-O

Flynn entered the royal throne room, escorted by two guards who had met them in the hallway. They, genuinely, seemed happy to have him back with the princess, and Flynn was glad to find _some_ guards that hadn't been part of the Captain's scheme.

Immediately upon seeing him, the King rose up to his feet, eyes wide with anxiety.

"Rider," he gasped, and Flynn could tell he feared the worst. Flynn's eyes wandered to the queen, who sat down in grieved silence, with tearstains on her cheeks. "Where is she? Is she…did you find her…is she…"

Flynn smiled assuredly at the king. "Well," he said, gesturing to the door, "why don't you ask her yourself, your majesty?"

Suddenly, the doors flew open, and Rapunzel appeared, the glow of brilliant joy shining all over her face. Her father's jaw dropped in relief and amazement, and the Queen's hands flew to her mouth, tears of joy breaking way through her tears of pain.

"Mom!" Rapunzel cried out blissfully, and took off in a run down the throne room carpet. "Daddy!"

"Rapunzel!" both parents chorused, leaping from their spots and running over to embrace their daughter.

What followed was a heartwarming moment of hugs and kisses and pure celebration, and all Flynn could do was watch with a satisfied smile on his face. He remembered the first time he had reunited Rapunzel with her parents, and this time was no different in how much it touched his heart.

"Rapunzel, my dear," her mother finally said through all the laughter and joyous tears. "Who—who did this? What happened to you?"

"It wasn't Eugene," Rapunzel said up front. "No, he was the one who rescued me. In fact, it was…the Captain."

The look on the King and Queen's face startled Flynn—how drastically their expressions changed—and he saw the King stare, wide-eyed at his daughter, tears once again filling his eyes.

"How…how could I have let this happen…" he whispered breathlessly, half to himself and half to his daughter. "I never imagined…he was the one who told me that Rider—"

"He framed him, Daddy," Rapunzel explained. She then told them the whole story, and Flynn added some facts every now and again, mainly around the time when Rapunzel was unconscious. Finally, the Princess ended with, "…but Eugene helped me escape. He almost gave his life…just so I could get home to you."

Both the King and Queen looked at Flynn in shock, and even both of the guards turned their heads towards him in surprise. Ordinarily, Flynn would have felt great, having this much attention, but for some reason, he felt embarrassed, having all eyes on him.

"Is this true?" the King finally asked.

Flynn nodded his head. "Yes, sir."

Now it was the Queen's turn to gasp. "Oh, Eugene…we're so sorry…if only we'd known…we would have never—"

"It's all right, your highness," Flynn reassured her, as Rapunzel walked over to his side. Flynn embraced his love in a hug, giving her a light kiss on the forehead. "What's really important is that she's here now…safe."

Suddenly, a huge slam broke them out of the moment, and the throne room doors flew open as the Captain and his ragged, angered band of guards stormed into the room.

"Your highness!" the Captain bellowed, unaware that Flynn and Rapunzel were standing a mere twenty feet from him. "Rider—he escaped! We tried to stop him, but he—he—he—"

Flynn cleared his throat and could barely stifle a laugh at the Captain's expression when he saw both Flynn and Rapunzel were standing _right_ _there_. In fact, he couldn't resist giving the bewildered captain a little wave.

"But, he—h—what—ah…" the Captain stuttered incoherently. Flynn could tell exactly what the Captain's intentions were a minute ago: he was going to storm in here, accuse Flynn, and have the king send out guards to ensure his capture. But now that Flynn was here, along with the Princess…

Things were not looking good.

But, as vengeful as he was against Flynn, the Captain immediately started making excuses, turning his surprised stutter into feigned astonishment that Rapunzel had returned. Immediately, he gave her a bow, and all the other guards followed.

"Oh—Princess!" he gasped, "Your majesty, you've returned! Welcome home!"

"Don't even _think_ about trying to fool us, Captain," the King glared down at the Captain and his guards until they nervously scrambled up from their bow, "and the rest of you men, too. You may have been able to deceive us once, but your lies have been revealed."

"B—But, your majesty!" the Captain stuttered again, finding himself in quite a situation. "We have eyewitnesses! You trust a little girl and a criminal over all of us?" he gestured to his group.

"He's not a criminal!" Rapunzel objected, and then smiled as she held her engagement ring forward. "In fact, he's soon-to-be your prince, and I suggest you start addressing him as such."

The Captain's jaw dropped open, along with the rest of his men. Now they really _did_ have nothing to say.

The Queen stepped forward. "We trust our daughter, and this fine young gentleman,"—Flynn's heart soared when he heard that—"more than any of you traitors."

"B—b—but—Rider! He's a—"

"Captain, you and the rest of your men are hereby charged with the kidnapping and attempted murder of both Princess Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert," the King said gravely. Then, he called for the rest of his guards, the loyal ones, to come and take the Captain and the others away. Flynn watched in stunned silence, and Rapunzel closed her eyes and buried her face into his vest. She couldn't watch anyone being led to such a fate, even people as cruel as the Captain and his men.

"But, your highness!" the Captain objected as he was dragged away. "We are your _officials_! Lies! The rest is all lies! They are—"

Finally, the doors slammed closed, and the room was silent.

The Captain and his men were gone forever.

Finally, the King looked down at Flynn, who still had Rapunzel in his arms, and then broke the silence.

"Now then," he asked, "what's this about a prince?"

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**Thanks again for the reviews! I LUV THEM!**


	12. I See the Light

**Wow. We're finally here. The last chapter. Again...wow. It makes me both happy and sad to see it go...happy at the fact that I finished my first chaptered story and also happy at the fact that I got so many great reviews. But I'm so sad to see it finished...but it's only one adventure that's come to an end. I've already got ideas for at least two Tangled one-shots and a new chapter story! Eugene and Rapunzel aren't gone forever!**

**Sorry if this didn't end with as big a BANG as some of the other chapters...since it was the end, I couldn't really do one of those big suspenseful endings. Oh, well, hope you like it anyway.**

**Thanks for all the great reviews, favorites, subscriptions, and just plain _everything_, and above all, thank you for reading TRUTH AND LIES!**

**Sayonara (I think that's how it's spelled),**

**Sheep 1215**

**It's been 12 chapters and I still don't own Tangled! I need a lawyer...**

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Flynn couldn't believe he was here.

He just couldn't.

That morning, Flynn had pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Later in the day, he punched himself to make sure it was real. Later, he contemplated hitting himself with a frying pan to be _sure_ he wasn't dreaming, but he didn't want to have a huge welt on his head from that.

Not on his wedding day.

It was too good to be true, this moment. He, Flynn Rider—or, Eugene Fitzherbert, rather—was getting married. And not just to any random girl he had wooed to get out of a sticky situation, no, he was devoting his life to someone much more special.

Rapunzel.

Flynn couldn't believe that just a few months ago, he and Rapunzel were in the deadliest situation of their lives. When Flynn proposed and pledged his love to Rapunzel, he thought it would be the last time he ever saw her, and Rapunzel needed to know how much he adored her.

Yet now, they had overcome it all. It was just outstanding. Inadvertently, Rapunzel had revealed Flynn's proposal to her parents, and, to Flynn's surprise, they actually seemed happy about it. Perhaps, seeing that Flynn cared enough to willingly give his own life for her made them think that way. Either way, it felt good to be trusted for once in his life. And by the King and Queen, well, now that was an honor.

Flynn stood, holding his breath in anticipation. The moment was unbelievable. In the pews, Flynn knew that nearly every thug from the Snuggly Duckling had come to witness the occasion. Tor bought in flowers, Gunther handled the wedding decorations, Attila bought his world-famous cupcakes, and even Vladimir came in with a wedding present: a ceramic unicorn—what else? Meanwhile, Big Nose was watching the wedding with his own new love, and Hook Hand was, well, where else: on the piano of course, preparing to play Rapunzel's bridal theme as she entered the room. Flynn smiled, grateful for all their support, though in the back of his mind he knew they weren't the fondest of him and were instead doing all this for Rapunzel. Oh, well, as long as she liked it…

Flynn took a deep breath, now looking down at himself. On him was a brilliant white suit that only royalty would ever been seen in. Then again, in a few minutes, he _would_ be royalty. He was going to be prince of Corona.

Prince.

Wow, what a word.

Every day since he had proposed to Rapunzel, that one thought flashed into his mind. Prince. Was he even ready? How on earth was he going to govern a whole kingdom? Years ago, he would have dreamed of such a position. In fact, back when he was a lonely young boy in the orphanage, he had yearned for such prestige nearly every day. But now, when it was staring him straight in the face, it made his heart pound. Was he ready? Would he ever be ready? He knew that someday, the prince would end up becoming King. _King_. That made Flynn even more nervous. He would be in charge of practically everything that went on in Corona. Was he ready for that kind of responsibility?

_Maybe I can't do it…_ Flynn thought, trying not to show he was mentally struggling with himself. But instead, a piano chord made him stand erect, and he stared at the door, knowing that his love was going to enter any minute.

Sure enough, the doors flew open, and there stood Rapunzel, looking more beautiful than Flynn had ever seen her before. It was one of the first times he had ever seen her wearing something that _wasn't_ lavender, and Flynn thought Rapunzel looked absolutely _breathtaking_ in her dress. It was a dress fit for a princess, made with meticulous detail by the royal seamstresses (with help from Killer, yet another thug with a dream). Rapunzel was a pure picture of innocence and purity; the gown had a lacy design that cut off right at her shoulders, and the flowing white material swirled at her waist, and then blossomed at the bottom to give her a remarkably silky train. The veil over her face was made of only the finest material, and was held up by her crown, which was laced through with roses and daisies and other flowers, similar to the wonderfully arranged bouquet she held in her hands.

_An outstandingly beautiful outfit for an outstandingly beautiful girl,_ Flynn thought.

Rapunzel's father escorted her down the aisle, beaming with pride at the fact that his baby girl was getting _married_. Flynn watched, swallowed by emotion, as his bride took step…after step… after step…down the aisle, with the flower girl—one of the little girls that braided Rapunzel's hair when they first entered the kingdom—sprinkling petals for the bride to tread upon. _With her bare feet,_ Flynn added with a smile.

Pascal was there too, but of course. The tiny chameleon was the ring bearer, and pride swallowed even the little creature as he watched his best friend experience what was to be one of the happiest moments of her life.

Finally, Rapunzel reached the alter, and Flynn watched as the King, tears of joy brimming his eyes, gave his daughter away. Before leaving, the King stared into Flynn's eyes, transferring an unspoken message between the two of them.

_Take good care of her._

Flynn nodded in response, and then gazed back into his fiancée's gorgeous green eyes, as he removed the veil. He was completely absorbed in just everything…_everything_. It was indescribable. Never had he imagined he would be here…with her…No longer a criminal, but soon to be a prince. No longer having to run, or to hide, but now, free to show himself; free to live. No longer was he alone…

…But he would now and forever be with the woman he loved.

Flynn was so caught up in the moment that he almost didn't hear the priest finish the vows.

"…for as long as you both shall live?"

Flynn nodded; still staring at that beautiful young woman he couldn't believe was his. "I do."

"And do you, Princess Rapunzel…"

Flynn once again gazed into the Princess's eyes, thinking how much things had changed. A _lot_, he meant, _a lot_ had changed, and Flynn thought it was all for the better. No, he _knew_ it was all for the better. Everything was so perfect now. Maybe God thought even _criminals_ deserved a second chance.

Rapunzel's smiling eyes stared back into his own, and Flynn had never felt happier. He had a home, he had a love, and he had a dream. He remembered what he had said, when Rapunzel and he were out on the lake first watching the floating lanterns on her birthday. Rapunzel had asked him what would happen if the lanterns were not all she had expected, and Flynn had reassured her that they would be. And after she fulfilled that dream, she could find a new one. But Flynn knew this for sure: Flynn would never have a new dream. Now and forever, Rapunzel would be his dream, the love of his life, the one he would cherish…forever.

Flynn's heart soared as the priest finished speaking to Rapunzel, and tears flooded her eyes, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I do."

It was then that Pascal presented the rings, and Flynn tenderly placed it on Rapunzel's finger, his whole being flooded with undying love. Soon, Rapunzel did the same, neither of them taking their affectionate gaze off of each other.

"_I love you," Flynn_ mouthed silently.

Rapunzel blushed with a small smile.

"_I love you, too."_

"I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest spoke up. He smiled at the young couple, and then looked at Flynn. "You may kiss the bride."

And before Flynn could react, Rapunzel threw her arms around his neck, giving him a kiss he would never forget. Flynn quickly returned it, swept up by the moment. She was here, he was here, and they were together.

Rapunzel was his.

Flynn thought about the responsibilities he would have now, the authority, the trials, but he would get through it, because that precious girl was by his side. She'd be there for him, no matter what, and in a heartbeat, he'd be there for her. It was truly meant to be.

And as Flynn held his bride tight, his love for her an overwhelming warmth that enveloped them both as they embraced, Flynn thought he must be the luckiest man alive.

He had found the truth.

He had seen the light.

* * *

**The end!**

**I really hoped you liked it. Please, review if you did!**

**More Tangled fanfics coming soon! In the meantime, thanks again for reading Truth and Lies!**


	13. ATTENTION ALL READERS!

**Hey, everyone!**

**Ok, I know Truth and Lies is finished, and I'd like to thank everyone who read! You guys have made me sooooooooo happy with all the reviews and all the favorites and just…everything! Thanks a bunch! I love you guys!**

**Now, for the announcement…**

**BUM BA DA BUM BA BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…**

**ATTENTION ALL ARTISTS!**

**I have a challenge for you!**

**I am in search of the perfect fanart for Truth and Lies!**

**That's right—I need you guys (being the awesome people that you are) to come up with a great fanart for this story! You guys interested? Really hope so!**

**So, here's what I need:**

**I need you, the wonderful humans of this earth, to draw (or paint or sketch or digital art or **_**whatever **_**you like) a fanart of their FAVORITE scene in Truth and Lies!**

**That's right,**

**ANY SCENE YOU WANT!**

**Be sure to let me know which scene it is and why you liked it!**

**After I get enough entries, the top three will be put up in a poll on my profile page, and then I'll count the votes and we'll have a winner!**

**The winner will not only be featured on my profile page, but…**

**WILL HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE SHOUT-OUT AND LINK FEATURED IN THE CHAPTER WITH THEIR FAVORITE SCENE!**

**Sound good yet?**

**Let me know!**

**If you're interested, leave a comment or PM me! (My Deviantart account name is the same as my fanfiction one) I'd love to see what you guys can come up with!**

**And please…every entry counts! Don't be nervous about showing your work…that's my job! ;-)**

**Please reply and let me know what you guys think! I'd love to see as many entries as possible!**

**Again, thanks for reading!**

***Pascal hugs***

**-Sheep1215 **


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